


The Vigilante of my Heart

by jedicaro



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst and Romance, Endgame Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, F/F, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-03-03 07:26:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13336335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jedicaro/pseuds/jedicaro
Summary: After Cadmus assassinated Gotham DEO's Director, Cameron Chase, Agent Alex Danvers took the mantle as Gotham DEO's acting Director. Taking the job as acting Director came with two red flags: she needed to impersonate Batwoman and work alongside Maggie Sawyer once again to protect the city from crime and Cadmus. Will she be able to bring justice to Gotham? Will her heart survive Maggie Sawyer? Only time will tell. (Sanvers is Endgame!)





	1. The Beginning of it All

**Author's Note:**

> This story will be a slow burn! This was also a fanfiction that came after having friendly Sanvers conversations over at Twitter (you can follow me for updates, my handheld is HedaDarth)
> 
> Thoughts = Bold/Italic
> 
> Please, enjoy and let me know what are your thoughts!

The Department of Extranormal Operations (DEO), located in the heart of National City, is widely known for protecting the general population from rogue alien attacks. It’s also known for having many legends within its ranks. One of those legends is Agent Alexandra Danvers, Supergirl’s bad-ass adoptive older sister. For years, she has repeatedly protected the identity of her sister, as well as her life.

Another thing that was widely known is the fact that Alex Danvers has no time for a “personal life,” and not for lack of trying. But she has sworn to put aside her personal goals to make sure the DEO was victorious in the protection of National City and its citizens, regardless of what planet they came. Sure, she once had time to imagine a life with the ones she loves, a perfect little life that now was just an unreachable dream. It used to be a reality, with a full name, filled with vegan ice cream and kisses jam-packed with promises of endless love. But she made sure that beautiful dream came to an end. You see, she was engaged to that beautiful creature, to that perfect woman who made her the happiest human being in the entire galaxy. Her name was Maggie Sawyer, and she made the stupid mistake of letting her go.

And here Alex Danvers was, starting another year regretting her rash decision for the millionth time, buried in paperwork from their latest case. Staring blankly at the report she was currently reviewing; her mind wandered back to better times, the ones where Maggie was still part of her life. It has been almost a year since she let Maggie walk out of her (their) apartment and her life.

“Eleven months, 12 days, 3 hours, and counting”, she whispered under her breath. Closing the file, the agent gave up trying to finish her paperwork. Looking at her watch for the fifteenth time that evening, she finally decided to call it a night. Organizing the stacks of paperwork on her desk as best as she could, she stood up from her chair, reaching for her leather jacket hanging on its back.

Walking out of her office, she noticed most of the agents walking with a sense of urgency towards the meeting room. Gazing around, she spotted Winn organizing his desk and getting ready to head over to the meeting.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

Winn turned around, looking troubled, “Cadmus apparently just assassinated Director Cameron Chase from the Gotham DEO.”

“What?! Where the hell was Batman?! I thought he was keeping a close eye on her”, Alex said looking around, trying to find J’oon.

“Apparently Batman and his sidekick haven’t been in town for a while now. Batwoman was covering for him, but Chase had her secretly executed for I don’t know what reason. Director Chase was a weird woman.”

“I didn’t know that,” Alex whispered, knowing full well how Batwoman worked closely with the DEO and Supergirl, “Kara is not going to like that, she admired her.”

“I know. Anyway, J’oon wanted to talk to you in his office, don’t ask me about what”, Winn said smirking, “I bet that he’ll send you to Gotham.”

The agent looked at him menacingly, “Don’t you start with those rumors, and you know my dislike for that city.”

Winn laughed, “I know, but who knows what’s going to happen now. With no active vigilante helping GCPD, the city is a mess.”

Alex rolled her eyes, “You have a good point there. I’ll catch up with you later, going to see what J’oon wants.”

“Copy, Boss,” Winn joked.

She slowly made her way towards J’oon’s office. After her conversation with Winn, she had a vague idea of what J’oon may want to talk about. Stopping in front of his door, she gently knocks, waiting for a response from the Martian.

“Come in, Alex,” he says from inside the room.

The agent opens the door and walks inside, closing the door behind her. “You wanted to see me, J’oon?”

“Yes, I did. I’m pretty sure that you just heard the news about Director Chase.”

“Unfortunately, I did,” she walks closer to his desk, taking a seat on the chair across from him, “And about Batwoman.”

“Yes, that as well.”

“Why did Chase kill Kate? Was she out of her freaking mind?!”, Alex exclaimed, crossing her legs.

“From the intelligence gathered about that operation, Cadmus apparently got a hold of Batwoman and performed some experiments on her. They had her under their full control. She attacked the DEO and Chase had no other choice but to shoot her down. She didn’t want to kill Kate Kane. She saw her as a big ally and a friend.”

“Some friend she was. Ok, so why you wanted to talk to me? I can say that Chase received a good dose of karma for what she did to Kate.”

“Stop the sarcasm, Alex. She was doing her job”, J’oon growled.

“Ok, I’ll back off a bit. I still don’t like what Chase did. They could have tried finding another way. So, why you called me in here?”, Alex calmly said playing with her left ring finger, stopping when she noticed what she was doing. After all these months, the absence of her ring still felt odd.

J’oon sadly smiled, “Well, Gotham needs a Director and who else but you to become interim director while the position gets permanently filled.”

Alex looked at him in shock, “You want me to leave you and Kara here, unattended.”

“We will be fine, and it’s not like we can’t fly from time to time to see you,” J’oon joked, proudly smiling when Alex returned the smile.

“That is true. But I’m pretty sure they have a good deputy director over there. Why the need for me to cross the town line into that dump.”

“They do, Alex. But there is something else you need to know. They need a good agent to take on the vigilante side of the house.”

“Vigilante?! But they have Batman and his sidekick. Of course, missing in action after the Joker killed Batgirl.”, Alex asked confused.

“True, but I was talking about Batwoman.”

“What are you talking about? Kate is dead.”

“The Gotham City DEO needs an experienced agent to take Batwoman’s place, as Batwoman.”

Alex looked at him with confusion.

“Alex, you’re the only agent that could pass as Batwoman and fill her shoes with dignity.”

The agent started laughing hysterically, “Are you shitting me?! You want me to magically suit up as Batwoman, with no experience with whatever gadgets she liked to use, on a leather outfit that left no room for imagination.”

J’oon smiled, “No, I’m not. And you could be trained to use all her toys.”

“You want me to dress as Batwoman, to play vigilante at the same time as acting-Director of the DEO.”

“Yes”

“To go around the city pretending like ‘I’m the night’ and protecting it from petty criminals. Did I already mention the leather suit?! J’oon, they have a Police Department to deal with those petty criminals! I’m supposed to fight rouge aliens! I’m a Federal Agent, not a superhero.”

“And you also must protect the world from Cadmus,” J’oon said, playing with his pen.

“Yes! Of course, that too! But I can do that as a Federal Agent.”

“Cadmus is in Gotham; they are the reason Chase and Kate are dead. This assignment is not a permanent set-up, Alex. You can go back to being Alex Danvers after Cadmus is off the streets.”

“But the suit, J’oon. So uncomfortable”, Alex whined.

“Like that has stopped you before”, J’oon joked.

Alex looked at him in defeat, “Fine, I’ll do it. But I have Kara visitation rights.”

J’oon laughed, “Yes, you’ll have them. You can even set up a schedule with Kara before you depart to Gotham. I know better than to get in the way of your sister nights.”

“You bet. You don’t want a grumpy Supergirl while I’m gone”, Alex smiled standing up from the chair, “Anything else I need to know?”

“Yes, you’re taking Winn with you. He can help you get a basic understanding of Batwoman’s gadgets and equipment. All of her equipment is currently stored at the Gotham DEO Headquarters. Also…”, He said, opening one of his drawers and handing her a set of keys, “…here are the keys to your new apartment. It’s near the Gotham Mercy General Hospital, in the Burnley District. You’re on apartment 1, fourth floor.”

Alex smiled, “Thanks. At least I’m near the hospital in case I get shot like I always do. How far is it from the DEO?”

“A couple of blocks. You can walk back and forth. As for your meetings at the City Hall and the GCPD, you’ll be needing transportation because those are located in the Old Gotham District.”

“Ok, that’s manageable. Does the DEO work cases with the GCPD?”

“They do, they work very closely with the Science Division,” J’oon said nervously, “Anything else you want to know?”

“Yes, do I have to move my stuff? I mean, from my apartment?”, she asked, playing with her keys.

“No, the apartment is fully furnished. Kara helped us take care of that.”

Alex started laughing nervously, “Kara knows?”

“Yes, she knows. Had to ask her permission before making this move, Alex. Your sister is rather persuasive.”

The agent smiled, “That she is. Thank you. Knowing that she was part of this process calms my nerves a little. Does she also knows about the Batwoman fiasco?”

“Unfortunately, she does. She was the one that found her body and almost killed Chase herself when she did. We told her not to tell you about it. I wanted to handle the news myself.”

Alex closed her eyes, trying her best to keep her emotions in check. “That’s good to know. I would have tried to kill Chase as well, so I don’t blame my sister. Thank you, J’oon.”

“Before I forget, Winn will be traveling tonight to Gotham to get everything in line for your arrival. He will have an apartment in the same building as you, that way you two can have each other’s backs. Gotham is a wild place.”

“That I know,” Alex said, “It’s good to have someone familiar in the city.”

J’oon sadly smiled at her, nervously looking around the room. The agent looked at him suspiciously, knowing fully well the Martian was hiding something from her. “J’oon, what aren’t you telling me?”

“Well, Winn won’t be the only familiar face in Gotham.”

Alex walked back to the chair and took a seat, “I’m listening.”

“You as the Director will have daily meetings with the second in command of the Science Division to make everything is running smoothly in all active joint cases.”

“Ok, but that is not answering my question,” the agent crossed her legs, waiting for a straight answer.

“That second in command is Lieutenant Maggie Sawyer,” J’oon sadly said, waiting for Alex’s reaction. The agent silently stared at the Martian, in pure shock.

“Maggie,” she slowly said, “My Maggie.”

J’oon slowly nodded, anticipating the agent to snap at him or bolt out of the office verbally. But Alex just looked around the room, trying to figure out what to say. He certainly was not expecting that reaction from the agent.

“Alex?”

“Good conversation, J’oon,” she said standing up, “What’s my report date?”

The Martian looked at her in confusion, trying to figure out what just happened. “Three days from today. Is that enough to pack and get settled?”

“Yeap, more than enough. I’ll go home and get to it”, she said walking out of the room, pulling the door shut.

“That is not what I expected. Humans are weird”, J’oon whispered. He was starting to question his decision. He hopes Alex could manage to work with Maggie once again, at least for the short time Alex was staying in Gotham.

 

* * *

 

 

Alex sat quietly on her couch, nursing a glass of scotch. After getting home, she packed most of the stuff she needed in Gotham, deciding on only taking clothing and the essentials. After what J’oon told her, she figured that her stay should be kept short for the sake of her mental sanity.

**_“That second in command is Lieutenant Maggie Sawyer.”_ **

J’oon’s words kept echoing inside her mind. Maggie was in Gotham, she was going to see her every single day, and she was working with Maggie once again. Like the good old days. This assignment was going to be pure torture.

She looked down at her drink, slowly moving it around to mix the watered down liquid and taking a sip. Opening up her other hand, she stared blankly at their engagement rings.

**_“I want you.”_ **

She could still see Maggie’s teary eyes, how broken she looked. She did to her what she swore she would never do, hurt her. She hurt her because of an issue they didn’t talked through like you're supposed to do in a relationship. If they had, they could have found a solution. Now, Alex knows there were other ways she could have handled it, and she decided for the most comfortable way out, breaking both of their hearts.

“And that is all my fault,” a lonely tear ran down her cheek. She closed her hand, taking in the sensation of the cold metal against her skin. Alex perfectly knew that it wasn’t going to be easy, but she had to face Maggie sooner or later. Her mind started wondering again, imagining how their first encounter would go.

**_Will she be glad to see me? Did she move on? Or does she still think about me as I do?_** Her thoughts started to overwhelm her. Now she realizes that canceling sister night with Kara was a bad idea; she could have used the sister banter right now to keep her mind occupied. It was too late now; she would have to try and get some sleep. Tomorrow, she was heading to Gotham, to her temporary new life.

 

 


	2. Gotham

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex settles in her apartment at Gotham and she has her first encounter with Maggie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold/Italics: thoughts / texts
> 
> Let me know what you think?!

Gotham is a dark and somber place. The air polluted, the streets dirty, and the people walked the streets with a sense of urgency. There was nothing pleasant in this city. All sounds heard were police sirens, car horns, gunshots; but peculiar enough, not a single bird would make their presence heard across the city.

Alex carefully studied Gotham from her apartment window, thinking it was depressing and barren, already missing the cleaner air of National City. She hasn't been in the city a full day, and she already wanted to leave. She was all settled in and was waiting for Winn to come by with her schedule for tomorrow and any other updates he could give her relating the whole "Batwoman" situation. She was thankful that she didn't need to report to the DEO until tomorrow after the morning meeting at the GCPD.

A loud knock broke her train of thought. Walking towards the door and verifying who her visitor was through the peephole, saw Winn standing awkwardly in the hallway. Rolling her eyes, she opened the door for him.

"What do you have for me?", she said, stepping aside to let him walk in the room.

"Not much. Your agenda for tomorrow is already updated. You have a meeting at GCPD at 0900 hours. After that? Report to the DEO building for training", Winn said handing her a tablet, "This will be your new personal tablet and is connected directly to the Gotham network. Inside, you can find your calendar plus any other additional data regarding any cases."

Alex inspected the screen methodically, making sure she was familiar with the applications in it. "What kind of training we have tomorrow?"

"Well, tomorrow it's focused on weaponry. After that, we'll be doing your suit fit. We need to be sure we have the correct measurements before finalizing your bat-suit."

She looked at him confused, "What do you mean? I thought Kate already had a suit?"

"She did, but after her assassination, you can say it wasn't the same. Besides, you wouldn't fit in her suit", Winn teased.

"What do you mean I wouldn't fit? Are you calling me fat?!", Alex said walking closer to him.

"NO! That's not what I meant! I mean, Kate was a good 71 inches tall. You're only 68 inches. We need to make sure it fits correctly. Also, the suit we are making is overlaid with Kevlar. Way safer than whatever she used. We have to take extra precautions."

Alex looked intently at him, "Ok, you convinced me. And here I thought you were trying to insult me."

"I would never." Winn gulped, slowly walking away from her.

Alex started laughing, "I'm just messing with you. So, anything else besides that?"

"Not tomorrow. There is a gala event that you need to attend this Friday evening. We need to get an evening gown for you", Winn explained while pacing around the room, "You have any color preference?"

Alex's mind wandered back to a night long ago when she went undercover with Maggie. She stills remembers how beautiful the other woman looked in her black dress, and she loved the color even more since that night.

"Yes, black would be nice."

"Ok, black dress it is. You'll be accompanied by another agent to this event, to prevent any more surprises", Winn sat down on the kitchen stool, "Her name is Kate Spencer. She also works as a federal prosecutor."

"So they must think this is serious if they want her around," Alex commented while staring out the window.

"Why you say that?"

"She is part of the infamous Birds of Prey, Winn. She works for the DEO as Manhunter. Great agent by the way", she turns around to face him, "And she's not gay, so don't even start"

Winn chuckled, "I wasn't going to bring that up. You're your own boss in that department"

"Thanks," Alex smiled, "At least someone understands that"

"You welcome," Winn pressed the off button on his tablet, "That's all I have for tonight. You need to rest because you have a hectic day tomorrow. I'll be heading directly to the DEO in the morning. Your security badge is ready and waiting for you in security. You just need to show your credentials, and you'll be good to go."

"Thanks again, Winn. You have a good night."

"You too. If you need me I'm staying on the second floor, apartment four", Winn said opening the door, "Or just give me a call."

"Copy that", Alex said as he closed the door. She turned back around to look out her window. She noticed the hospital was extra busy, already counting over twelve ambulances in the last two hours.

Her mind starts wondering how many time will she end up visiting those premises, how many agents would end up in there trying to stop Cadmus from whatever they were planning on doing now, and on how many times has Maggie ended up in that hospital.

"Come on, Alex. Pull yourself together." She whispered, closing the window and walking towards the bedroom. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, might as well she tried to rest.

 

* * *

 

  
Making the trip to the Gotham City Police Department was a challenge of its own. Alex is sure she hasn't cursed at people this much in a very long time. Good thing she decided on bringing her bike as well, she would have killed someone if she had made the drive in her car. Parking her bike near the front of the lot, Alex took off her helmet and placed it on top of her bike. She tried to fix her hair as best as she could while dismounting her motorcycle. Looking around the lot, she noticed a familiar bike parked a few parking spaces from her.

"Maggie," she whispered, taking a deep breath. She was certain that it would be near impossible to avoid her now that she was second in command of the Science Division. Gripping her backpack tightly, she made her way inside the building.

Spotting the receptionist, she smiled and introduced herself, "Good morning, I'm here for the nine o'clock meeting with the Science Division?"

The receptionist smiled, "Why certainty. You must be Director Chase's replacement?" She asked, looking Alex from head to toe. "Have to say; you Federal Agents are very pleasant to look at."

Alex raised her eyebrows, **_*Is she flirting with me?*_**

"Jessica, do I have to send you through sexual harassment training again?", The agent heard a very familiar voice behind her. Turning around, she saw Maggie in all her glory. "Good morning, Director Danvers."

"Good morning, Lieutenant Sawyer," she said steadily. Keeping her nerves under control, Alex did her best to look poised and professional.  
Maggie smiled, "You must be my nine o'clock."

Alex noticed that her smile didn't reach her eyes like it usually did, it felt somehow forced. She tried to smile herself, "Apparently I am, Sawyer."

"Should I block your schedule, ma'am?", Jessica asked from her desk.

"Yes, please," Maggie acknowledged.

"Ms. Danvers, if you don't have any plans, I'm available for lunch?", Jessica openly flirted.

Alex looked at her in shock, Maggie trying her best to maintain her composure and avoiding rolling her eyes at her receptionist. "Ms. Jessica, right?", the agent asked politely.

"For you, just Jessica."

Maggie covered her mouth, trying not to laugh at Alex's expression of pure shock. *I guess some things never change*, she thought, looking at the agent.

"Ms. Jessica, I'm not interested", Alex said looking at Maggie, "How about that meeting?"

Laughing at the awkward exchange, Maggie nodded, "Sure, Danvers. Follow me"

The agent followed the other woman down a vast hall. This department was surprisingly quiet, less crowded than the one at National City. The walls welcoming, full of pictures of various members of the force and their achievements. Looking forward, she took a good look at Maggie. Her hair was shorter than the last time she saw her, just below her shoulders. She was wearing a pair of dark grey slacks, a black button-up long-sleeve shirt, and boots. She did look a bit thinner, but still good. Coming to a quick halt, Maggie opened an office door. She stepped aside, allowing Alex to walk in the room. Taking a quick look at the desk, she noticed a plate with ‘LT Maggie Sawyer ‘engraved on it. They were at Maggie's office.

"Take a seat, Danvers," she said, sitting down on the chair behind her desk.

Alex sat down on the chair right across from the other woman, "It's only us?"

Maggie smiled sadly, "Yes, today's meeting will be only us."

"Ok," the agent placed her bag on the floor and took her tablet out, "So, lieutenant, how does this usually goes? I just arrived yesterday evening and haven't stepped in the DEO yet."

Maggie smiled, opening a file on her desk, "Well Director Danvers, we usually discuss all the active joint cases that are still open. We go through any updates of those cases and needed follow-ups."

Alex looked at her, losing herself in the other woman's eyes, taking everything in. She was even more beautiful than before if that's even possible. Forcing herself to stop daydreaming about the woman in front of her, she switched back to work mode, "Ok, which case do you want to discuss first. I did bring the new tablet with me so I can give you up to date information on each case."

"We can start with the disappearance of Kate Kane", Maggie said staring closely at Alex, "I know you worked closely with her in the past, Alex."  
Alex's hands started to shake lightly. Slowly moving her hands on the tablet, she accessed the case file for the very first time. She had her questions and doubts about the whole thing herself. Probably, this will help clarify a few things. "It says here that her body was recovered three nights ago. The autopsy said that she was shot three times in her torso. Also, various experiments were performed on her. Cadmus is the prime suspect in her capture and experimentation."

Maggie looked at the agent's hands, noticing how they were shaking. Sawyer knew how closely both women were, including with Supergirl. It wasn't rocket science, the agent and her sister harbored some feelings for Kane. Gently, hoping she isn't crossing a line, she asked, "How is Kara doing after hearing the news?"

Alex looked up, trying her best to smile, but failing miserably, "What can you expect, Kara looked up to her. I don't know why or how we all knew Kate was a weird and dark woman. But she was still a good person."

Maggie looked back down at her file, thinking her next few words carefully, "And how are you doing?"

"Ok, I guess. Not happy to be here to clean Chase's mess in Gotham. That woman I can tell you was a heartless bitch; I was never too fond of her."

Maggie looked up at Alex, trying her best not to show how hurt she was with those words. "I'm sorry our messes troubled you, Director. I'm sure you had more interesting things to do over at National City."

Alex closed her eyes, clearly understanding the actual meaning of those words, "Maggie, that's not what I meant. What I'm trying to say is that Chase never thought about the consequences of her actions. She always did things out of the blue, without asking for any advice. Kate is all her mess, one that could have been prevented if she would have just talked about it…", Alex abruptly stopped talking, covering her eyes with her hand *I'm not talking about Kane anymore*.

"I understand, Director. I'm sorry I got defensive. We are trying our best to get Gotham back in track, but it's hard when Cadmus joins the already messed up party we have on this side of the house", Maggie said, trying to light up the conversation, "Do we have any leads on Cadmus?"

Alex looked back down at her tablet, searching for any evidence updates, "No new evidence yet, pretty sure there is a team out there searching for leads. Won't know any other details until I report to the office."

"Ok," Maggie said biting her lip, lost in thought.

Alex got distracted by the gesture, her eyes focused on her lips. Redirecting her gaze to the other woman's eyes, she realized that she was caught staring down at Maggie's lips. "Anything else you wish to discuss?"

"No, not for the time being. That's the only case we are working jointly at the moment. If we find any information on Cadmus, I'll let you know", the lieutenant said, closing her file and placing it to her right.

"Ok then, I should better get going. I still need to get my access badge, busy day today", Alex said while placing the tablet in her bag. Standing up, she put her bag on and looked back at Maggie. "It was nice seeing you again, Sawyer. And congratulations on the promotion, well deserved."

Smiling sadly, Maggie nodded, "Likewise, Danvers. Was about time you had your very own field office".

Alex wanted to say more, but the timing just didn't feel right. There was so much she wanted to say to the other woman, but it has to be done in another time. "So, see you around?"

Maggie looked down at her desk, "Yeah." Looking back up, she smiled, "Will be seeing you around, Danvers."

Those words hit Alex hard, feeling the oxygen leaving her lungs. She looked at the door, trying her best to compose herself. "I just walk straight, right? To exit, I mean."

"Yes," Maggie said standing up from her chair. Alex looked back at the other woman, waiting for further instructions. "When you reach the reception, don't forget to get Jessica's number. You know so that you can enjoy her company at lunch."

Alex smiled in embarrassment, "No, her? NO. I would much enjoy someone else's company". She closed her eyes, internally chastising herself of the slip. "I mean, I don't have time for lunch. Have a busy afternoon ahead of me. See ya".

The agent walked away, not noticing Maggie's surprised expression.

 

* * *

 

  
"So, Kate only had two weapons of choice: the Batarangs and the Bat-club," Winn explained, slowly pacing in Alex's office, "And those are easily trainable as you have used similar weapons before."

Alex looked and felt tired. After a long day of physical training and suit fitting, she was ready to call it a day and go straight to sleep. But she still needed to listen to Winn's explanation on Batwoman weaponry. "Yes, we have similar weapons here."

"Ok, so training should be quick and kept at a minimum. We can do that first thing tomorrow morning and continue with your physical training."

Alex had to smile at that, "That means I can go to sleep?"

"Yes, and no," Winn said sitting across from Alex's desk, "I need to know how it went this morning at the meeting. Were those people nice?"

"If you mean Maggie, yes. She was the only one at today's meeting", Alex said, taking a particular interest in her pen.

"Wait, it was a solo meeting!", Winn opened his eyes as wide as humanly possible, "Details, woman!"

Alex smiled, "We talked about work, Winn. It was very amicable, nothing special."

"Nothing special, was there any flirting?"

She looked at him like he grew a second head, "Really?! If you mean: "her receptionist hitting on me right in front of Maggie" as a sign of good flirting, be my guest. That was embarrassing."

"Did she get jealous?", Winn asked moving his eyebrows suggestively.

Alex laughed, "I don't know, she did tell her that she needed to retake a sexual harassment training."

"Ooookkk, that's a good sign," Winn said, "But seriously now, did it felt weird?"

She thought about her interaction with Maggie for a minute, "Not really, it went smooth."

"Well, that's a good sign," he sadly smiled, "It's a start."

"It is," Alex said taking a deep breath, "I hope I can survive this assignment."

 

* * *

  
Maggie logged off from her office computer, taking her access card from the card reader. Opening her top drawer to grab her wallet, she saw the picture of Alex and herself she kept hidden. The image served as a small window of happier times between the two of them when things were simpler, and life was perfect. She knew that moving to Gotham wasn't far-off from National City, which eventually she would be seeing the other woman once again. She didn't come to Gotham because she wanted to, she just couldn't keep working cases with Alex. The pain was too much, unbearable even. Seeing the other women every day knowing that she wasn't hers anymore was too much for her to handle. But, here they were, almost a year later, finding each other once again.

For a moment there, Maggie thought she could finally move on from Alex. But today she was proven wrong, her feelings instead of dissipating, they grew even stronger than before. And now, Alex was named the acting Director for the Gotham DEO headquarters, a department she had to work with very closely.

"Of all the field offices," Maggie whispered, sadly smiling at the picture, "We always seem to find each other, don't we?"

Gently, she placed the picture back in the drawer and grabbed her wallet, inserting her access card inside. Looking towards the reception area, she noticed Jessica was still at her desk. Standing up, she grabbed her jacket from the wall hanger and made her way towards her.

"Lieutenant, leaving for the night?", Jessica asked.

"Yes, I am," Maggie said with a straight face, "Can you do me a big favor?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Would you please stay away from Agent Danvers? She's strictly off limits."

Jessica smiled nervously, "Did she said anything? Did I make a bad impression?"

"It's not that. I don't want you to mix work and pleasure, especially with a federal liaison."

Jessica looked down at her hands, "This has never been a problem before, Lieutenant."

"But this time, it is. Danvers is off limits. Please", Maggie said putting her jacket on, "And go home. It has been a long and busy day. Have a good night."

"Yes, ma'am. And I'll keep my distance. Good night.", Jessica answered, logging off from her computer.

Maggie sadly smiled, turning around and walking out of the building. She wasn't the possessive type, but seeing Alex again it's overwhelming enough. Maggie doesn't need to see her dating another woman as well, especially one that works in the precinct with her. She did want Alex to be happy, to find the happiness she needs and deserve. But she didn't know if she could survive seeing Alex parading another woman in her presence.

"Damn you, Danvers," she whispered under her breath. Stopping in front of her bike, she noticed a small piece of paper stuck between her seat and the plastic. Grabbing it, she slowly opened it:

_**"Sawyer: No worries about your receptionist, not interested in her company. Forgot to tell you, my number is still the same in case you need me for a case. Danvers"** _

Maggie smiled at the note, "Very slick, Danvers." She safely placed the note inside her jacket and pulled out her phone, sending a text to Alex: _**"Mine is still the same number as well, Danvers."**_

Not even bothering to wait for a response from Alex, she placed her phone inside her jacket, mounting her bike while getting her helmet on. Turning her bike on and slowly moving her bike backward, she started riding home with a hopeful smile on her face. Maybe things won't be so bad after all.


	3. A Night to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex's suit is almost ready and attends the Gala. She and Maggie meet once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Again: Bold/Italics and thoughts

After an excited conversation with Winn, Alex rushed to the headquarters' basement to meet with him. Apparently, he was almost finished with the suit and informed her that some minor testings' needed to be done. She walked down the hall and stopped right in front of a door labeled "Project Otrera."

**_*That's one weird name to use.*_ **

Using her access badge, she unlocked the door, revealing a vast room filled with weapons and computers. This has been the first time she has stepped inside, being far too busy with other tasks to check on Winn's progress since they got here. After locking the door behind her, Alex looked around carefully, taking in the details around her. The walls seemed higher than the rest of the building, with different types of weaponry and gadgets decorating them. In the center of the room placed on a mannequin, a black armored suit stood with a red bat symbol adorning its chest.

"You made it!", Alex heard Winn's excited voice from the other side of the room.

"So, ‘Project Otrera.' Why you chose that name?", she asked inspecting the suit closely.

"Well, you know, from the Greek mythology. Otrera was a Queen of the Amazons; consort of Ares and mother of Hippolyta, Antiope, Melanippe, and Penthesilea. She was an Amazonian bad-ass", he explained.

"Ah, you went full geek on the name. But, have to say, the name fits."

"Of course it does! So, anyways, we need to do one last test on the suit, and you should be good to go."

She waited for him to elaborate, crossing her arms in front of her chest. When he didn't, the agent asked, "What type of testing? Didn't you already tested it at the shooting range yesterday?"

Winn made his way over to the suit, "We did, but without you in it."

Alex raised an eyebrow at him, "Are you serious?"

"Well, yeah," he answered nervously, "Now we need to make sure that the damage done to you is extremely minimal."

"Winn, the Gala is tonight?! Don't you dare break one of my ribs, or so help me…", she started to say, stopping when Winn raised his hand in protest.

"I swear on whatever deity you want me to; I won't shoot at your torso. But, just in case, can you sacrifice an arm?"

 Alex contemplated her options, "Fine. Just one arm. Anything besides that and you'll know first handedly how my fist will feel on your face." She walked towards the suit and took it off the mannequin carefully. Grabbing the mask, she started making her way to the side door.

 Winn opened his eyes wide, "Yes, ma'am."

 After suiting-up, Alex was standing in the middle of the indoor shooting range, waiting on Winn to get ready. She felt a little uncomfortable in the leather suit, unable to move as freely as she wished to. But in the suit's defense, this was the first time she wore something this tight.

 "Ready?", Winn asked, loading the .45 caliber pistol from the twenty-five yards line.

 Alex took a deep break, making final adjustments to her mask, "Yes, go for it."

 He adjusted his grip, aiming at her left bicep. Taking control of his breathing, he slowly pulled the trigger. At the sound of the gunshot, Alex closed her eyes waiting for the bullet to hit her arm. The bullet ricocheted on her suit instantly, sending the round to the side of the room. Opening her eyes, she inspected her arm and noticed she hardly had a scratch.

 "Apparently it worked. You're a genius. The only bad thing is, I feel like I'll have a nice bruise", Alex smiled, making her way towards Winn. He placed the weapon on safe and holstered it to his side.

 "Awesome! Now, after you take that suit off, you can grab your dress from the door hanger and get ready. The Gala should start at 7 pm. I'll clean things around here and head home. We can meet afterward to go over any intelligence you collect."

 "Sounds like a plan. See you later, and thanks", Alex said, making her way to the main room.

* * *

 

 Awkward wasn't the word Alex was thinking about when she put on her evening gown; she felt more overexcited than anything. The dress was gorgeous, she loved it, but she felt out of place. She has gotten used to her DEO attire. Winn did a great job finding her a suitable dress for tonight's event. It was a black strapless, long evening dress, a sleek, perfect fit, with silver high-heel shoes. Her hair was pulled back, showing off her diamond earrings. Her make-up was natural and minimalistic, showing off her natural beauty. Even if she wasn't used to it, she felt somewhat comfortable.

 Stopping in front of the Gotham Convention Center, Alex stepped out of the black Suburban the DEO provided for this event, double checking her ear-piece. Turning around, helping her escort (and bodyguard) for the night out of the vehicle, they both walked side by side towards the entrance. She looked to her right, signaling her escort to double check her ear-piece, facing forward after receiving positive acknowledgment.

 "Alex, Kate, commo check?", the voice in their ear said.

 "Loud and clear," both whispered, handing the invitations to the bouncers.

 After being cleared to enter, both women inspected their surroundings. The room was decorated elegantly with white roses and orchids. The lights were kept dimed, giving guests a false sense of privacy. Observing the people around them, most of them were high-visibility people of wealthy society.

 "I'm starting to feel out of place," Kate joked smiling at one of the guests that passed them by.

 "You're not the only one," Alex answered searching for the bar, "I already need a drink."

 Kate laughed, placing a hand on the other woman's arm, "Calm down, Danvers. We need to make sure the coast is clear. We don't know if Cadmus has undercover agents mingling with the guests."

 "You have a good point," Alex said scanning the crowd. Suddenly, she spotted a familiar face.

**_*Maggie*_ **

She could recognize her smile a mile away, her dimples being huge kryptonite.  This woman was her weakness, and no matter how much time passes or how long they have been apart, she was still a huge part of her life. Her heart started beating rapidly, a smile spreading slowly on her face.

**_*She looks stunning*_ **

Maggie had a gorgeous low-cut, blue evening gown; her hair was down, and her make-up had a natural look. She was talking to a blonde woman, probably one of the many guests.

 "Oh my, the infamous Maggie Sawyer," she heard Kate say beside her, "People call her ‘the Heartless Dame.'"

 Alex curiously looked at the woman beside her, "Why is that?"

 "Apparently, some women who had the pleasure of bedding her say that she is amazing in bed, but with a prize," Kate explained, "Her heart seems to be absent every single time."

 Alex was not too happy with that explanation. She didn't want to envision Maggie with anyone else. But they have been apart for a long time; she understood the need to feel wanted by someone. But there was something that Kate said that caught her attention. "What do you mean absent?"

 "Well, no one knows for sure. But if my instincts are correct, I say that is due to the lieutenant still having strong feelings for someone. She can't give her heart to anyone when it doesn't belong to her in the first place. I wonder who the lucky lady is", Kate sighed, "Love is a strange thing, my friend."

 Alex stared at Maggie for a little longer, "Very strange it is. I wonder who". Noticing how Maggie started to move through the crowd towards the bar, she decided to gather her courage and walk over to greet her, "Kate, I'll see if Lieutenant Sawyer has any new information regarding Cadmus. I'll catch up with you in a bit. Come get me if anything comes up."

 "Roger that, boss," Kate said walking away to the opposite side of the room.

 Alex took a deep breath and made her way towards the bar where Maggie was ordering a drink. Stopping a few steps from her, "Hey, Sawyer."

 Maggie turned around, smiling at the agent, "Danvers. Wow, you look very…", taking a deep breath, she wandered her eyes up and down Alex's dress, "Beautiful."

 Alex felt herself blush, "Thanks, you took a look…," she chose her next words very carefully, not wanting the other woman to run to the hills, "Gorgeous" **_*Sure, very subtle*_**

 Maggie smiled, biting her lip in the process, "You want a drink?"

 Smiling at the gesture, Alex answered, "Maybe later. But you know what I want?"

 "What?", the other woman whispered.

 "A dance."

 Smiling, Maggie reached for Alex's hand, pulling her slowly to the dance floor. Finding a dark and private corner, she drew the agent closer to her. Guiding Alex's hands to her waist, she placed her hands behind the agent's neck. Moving to the slow rhythm of the music, they both enjoyed each other's company silently. Alex looked up in thought, trying to recognize the song that was playing, smiling at the irony of it.

 "What are you smiling about?", Maggie whispered.

 "The song," Alex smiled looking at the other woman's eyes, "Linger by the Cranberries."

 Maggie bit her lip. She knew the song very well, Alex loved that song. She even remembers the other woman singing it in the shower a couple of times. "You love that song, Danvers."

 Alex nodded, "Yes, I do. It's just ironic. The chorus just reminds me of you". When the chorus started to play, she started singing, her eyes never leaving the other woman's, "But I'm in so deep, you know I'm such a fool for you, you've got me wrapped around your finger. Do you have to let it linger? Do you have to, do you have to, do have to let it linger?"

 Maggie was in a trance with Alex's voice. She suddenly had the colossal desire to kiss her, something she had wanted to do since Alex walked into her office a few days ago. She got in her eyes, in her smile, and having her in her arms like this was torture. But Alex wasn't hers anymore. And she needed to stop this; she didn't come here by herself.

 "There you are, Babe," a voice said from beside them. Maggie turned to the left and saw the face of the last person she wanted to see right now. Letting go of Alex, she acknowledged the other woman, "Gabrielle."

 Alex looked at them in confusion. *What just happened?* She tried to smile, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

 "I'm sorry. Gabrielle, this is Alex Danvers. She's a federal liaison between her department and the GCPD. Danvers, this is Gabrielle, my date for the evening", Maggie's voice was trembling, feeling terrible for completely forgetting about the other woman.

 Alex smiled sadly, "Nice to meet you."

 "Danvers!", the agent turned around to see Kate moving quickly towards them, "We need to go, like right now."

 "Copy that," turning back towards Maggie and her date, "I'm sorry duty calls. I need to go. See you around, Sawyer".

 "See ya," Maggie said, sadly watching the pair go. A feeling of despair settled in quickly, reminding her she had royally fucked up.

  ** _*How did this night turn so sour?*_**

 

* * *

****

 A few hours had passed since Maggie got home from the Gala. She sat on her couch, a near-empty bottle of scotch in her hand, mentally chastising herself for her brief but a magical encounter with Alex. It didn't help that she wasn't aware of Alex attendance to the private event. Maggie only attended because she felt obligated due to her leadership position on the GCPD. But to her surprise, Alex was there, and she looked stunning, not that it was anything new. Alex was beautiful no matter what. The woman still took her breath away, after all this time.

 It was no secret; she still loved Alex Danvers. Doesn't matter how much she was still hurting after their breakup, her feelings for her never faded. Seeing her tonight brought back many memories of their past life, mostly happy memories; and dancing with her to the slow rhythm of "Linger" while the other woman sang to her was like they used to do it back in their old apartment. Just like the old times. Almost.

 "But she explained why she didn't want you, Sawyer," she drunkenly told herself, "You, my friend, aren't woman enough for her."

 She took a sip from the bottle, trying her best to drown her sorrows and forget about the other woman. "And then, Gabrielle had to make the scene. I forgot I took her with me as a date. I knew it was a bad idea to ask her to come with me."

 She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on her buzz and to forget about Alex altogether. But the broken look Alex gave her when Gabrielle interrupted them, broke her heart. "And yeah, you have to go and hurt her…AGAIN. You never learn, do you, Sawyer?"

 Standing up, Maggie began pacing around the room, "You either hurt her or tell her you don't want her babies." She took another sip from her bottle, "I mean, look at her, who wouldn't want to have babies with her! A tiny me or a little Alex would be wonderful. But with our line of work?"

 She stopped her pacing and stood right in front of her window, "We can't have kids with our line of work. What kind of life could we give them?"

 Taking another sip, she felt tears run down her cheeks. "But damn it, how I love that woman. I would have all the babies she wants, as long as I could spend the rest of my life with her."

 Looking down at her bottle, she realized it was empty. "I wish I was able to tell her all this while I was still sober. Coward Maggie Sawyer strikes again". She felt rage bubble inside her, throwing the bottle against the wall as hard as she could. Stepping back towards the wall behind her, she slid down to the floor, covering her face and cried her heart out.

 

* * *

 

 

 Alex walked as fast as she could to her office. At the Gala, Kate received some intelligence regarding Cadmus operating on the north side of Gotham. They left the Gala in a hurry, meeting a team over at that location. Apparently, the information was a dead end and what they found was an old Cadmus headquarters that hasn't been used for some time. She sat down at her desk and tried to get her thoughts straight. Her mind went back to Maggie and how beautiful she looked. And then, she also remembered that blonde girl named Gabrielle.

 "Of course, what did I expect? Maggie to not see anyone else after how I broke her heart?", she whispered, hitting her desk with her palm in frustration.

 "Calm down, why are you so upset?", Winn said from her office entrance.

 Alex looked up at him, taking a deep breath. "Maggie was at the Gala."

 "And?"

 "She was there with some blonde bimbo."

 Winn looked down at his shoes, "Are you jealous? Cause, let me be the one to remind you that you were the one that broke-up with her. If you hadn't done that, you two would have been happily married now."

 Alex nodded and started playing with a random pen on her desk, "I know."

 "But, now that you bring Maggie up, there is something I should tell you.", Winn said nervously.

 Alex looked up at him, "Ok?"

 "So, I knew Maggie went to the Gala last night and that she wasn't happy when she got home."

 She looked at him confused, "How?"

 "Well…," Winn started to say, "She kind of lives in the apartment right across from mine. You know, in our building."

 Alex looked at him in utter shock, "She what?!"

 "I should have told you earlier."

 "She…lives….in our building", Alex started to look around her office.

 "Yes," Winn was getting ready to bold the room at any given notice.

 "And she wasn't happy when she got home?", Alex sadly asked.

 "No"

 Alex was lost in thought, silently taking in the information.

 "You ok?", Winn asked.

 "I'll be fine. Thanks, Winn", she said, her mind drifting back to Maggie.


	4. Windows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Batwoman is patrolling the streets and keeping a close eye on Maggie. But evidence found at a crime scene could give a small window into Cadmus' plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry it took this long. Work and college have been crazy. Please, let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy. Already working on the next chapter as we speak! At least, on the order of events.

It was just another quiet night in Gotham, another rare occasion in such a busy city. There was always a crime being committed, a murder waiting to happen, but not today. Crime was quiet today, and the little offense that did occur was left for the police to deal with. The past few nights that Alex patrolled the streets as Batwoman were hectic, so today was a welcomed changed to her nightly routine. She decided to take a rest on the rooftop right across from her building where she had a perfect view on all of the residents living on that side of it. Sitting on the ledge, she scrutinized each window, making sure all was in order. Stopping at a particular window on the second floor, she noticed Maggie sitting in the living room with her glasses on reading what it looked like a case file.

Alex couldn't remember the last time she saw the other woman wearing glasses. It was a rare occurrence as Maggie wasn't fond of them. She believed she looked nerdy, but Alex thought she looked adorable. Every night since starting to wear the suit, she would sit down on this very ledge to observe Maggie. Sometimes Alex felt that what she was doing was borderline wrong, but it was the only way she could see the other woman beside seeing her on their rare morning huddles. From up here, she could have a small window to what Maggie's nightly routine. One thing was for sure, the woman hardly slept.

Alex felt her phone vibrate. Taking it out of her utility pouch, she saw it was Maggie. Placing her hands-free on her ear, she received the call.

"Sawyer?", She said as composed as possible. She didn't even know how she didn't notice Maggie grabbing her phone. Sneaky.

"Danvers," Maggie said, "Am I interrupting anything?"

"No," Alex answered looking towards Maggie's room and noticed the other woman walking towards the kitchen. "I'm still on the job. Everything ok?"

"Yes, yeah…I just was reviewing a case and found something that could help you with Cadmus", stopping by the dining table, Maggie grabbed a small bag, "Probably you can figure out what it is in your hi-tech lab. Or are you too good for that now."

Alex could feel the other woman's smile, and she missed their playful banter. "For lab work? I'm never too good for that. I can do that for free."

"Such a nerd," Maggie said turning around and looking out the window. Now Alex had a perfect view of that smile.

"Me? I'm still the same nerd, just with a different title."

"Good, thought you had left that nerd back in National City," Maggie teased, placing her forehead against her window.

"I would never do that. My nerd side is a work requirement," Alex whispered. Maggie sounded cheery but sad. Something was not right. "You ok? You sound…sad"

"I'm good, just tired," Maggie sighed, "Work has been crazy."

"I know, this has been a crazy week for you guys. You should use what little time you have to rest", Alex said sadly, "You want to bring what you found tomorrow? I promise to have some great coffee ready for you."

She saw Maggie smile, "You would? Look at you, always the gentleman."

"Always," Alex whispered. **_*For you, even more*_**

"I can swing by in the morning. I'll bring those case files with me so you can have a better picture of what we found at the scene."

"Ok, see you in the morning."

"Yes. Good night, Alex", Maggie whispered.

"Good night, Maggie," Alex said ending the call. **_*I love you*._** She wanted to add so severely, but she knew she couldn't.

* * *

 Maggie walked up the stairs into the DEO's command center. She stopped, looking around for Alex. She saw her walking around the lab located on the upper level. Walking towards the stairs, she spotted Winn.

"Maggie!", he said running towards her, pulling her into a bear hug.

"Hi, Winn," she giggled, stepping back from the embrace, "Didn't know you were also here."

"Well, yeah…you know J'onn", he said looking around, making sure Alex wasn't nearby, "He wanted me to make sure ‘You know who' doesn't get into any real trouble."

"Sure, he did," Maggie smiled, pushing him playfully, "Talking about ‘You know who,' I'm here to meet with her. But, we need to catch up soon."

"Yes, we do. See you later."

Maggie walked towards the stairs that headed to the lab, feeling her nerves starting to set in. She opened the door and walked in, finding Alex sitting on a stool. The other woman had her reading glasses on while studying the documents in front of her. She looked around and noticed they were by themselves. Walking towards her, she made herself known:

"Danvers?"

Alex turned towards her and smiled, "Sawyer."

Maggie smiled back, stopping a few feet away. "Got you something." She placed a small evidence bag in front of the other woman. "I have no idea what it is, but we found it at a crime scene yesterday."

Alex grabbed the bag, studying its content closely. It was a crystallized residue of some sort that she couldn't identify. "I've never seen this type of rock before if it's even a rock. Do you have the case files?"

Maggie handed her the files. She opened them one by one and read through them. What caught her attention was the hot green spots on the ground. "Were all these spots burned?"

Maggie walked closer to the other woman, stopping right beside her. She was close enough that Alex could smell her perfume. Euphoria by Calvin Klein always drove her crazy. "Yes, all of them were. And those rocks were left in every single spot. We grabbed all of them from the scene, but the only thing our lab agreed on was they were all the same substance."

Alex looked back at the bag, trying hard to block the other woman's scent from her mind. "Let me look at this under the microscope first before experimenting with it. It could give me a general idea of what we are dealing with." She stood up and walked towards the microscope on the other side of the table. Grabbing a sample glass, she placed a small piece of the rock on it and sealed it. Putting it under the microscope, she took her glasses off to observe it through the optical lens.

Maggie was trying her best to ignore her feelings, placing work before the heart. Being around the other woman was both infuriating and intoxicating. She needed to keep reminding herself that she broke her heart, which she didn't want to be with her. Alex Danvers made it very clear; she wasn't what she wanted as a partner nor wife.

Alex took a small step back, looking at Maggie worriedly. "This is bad, Mags."

Surprised by the use of her nickname, Maggie needed to gather her thoughts before answering Alex. "What do you mean?"

"This is no ordinary rock; this is trinitite," Alex explained placing the sample inside a sealed container. "And it's radioactive."

"Ok, that doesn't sound good at all. But, could you please explain what that is in English? I don't understand nerd", Maggie teased, trying to make the other woman smile. She succeeded.

"Trinitite is a form of residue, human-made. This rock is also known as atomsite or Alamogordo glass. Is a glassy residue left on the desert floor of Alamogordo, New Mexico after the plutonium-based trinity nuclear bomb test of 1945", Alex explained, walking closer to Maggie. "Either Cadmus is experimenting on the atom site, or they managed to replicate a mini trinity bomb. Either way, it's bad".

Maggie was in shock. This situation was even worse than she thought. She looked back at the photos inside the case files and started to put two and two together. "Do you think Cadmus has somehow device a weapon that powerful but small enough to carry?"

"Maybe, according to the evidence is very possible," Alex walked closer to Maggie, "But we need to find out fast if it's true or not"

Maggie looked at Alex, noticing she was scrunching her eyebrows. Just a habit the woman had when she was worried or had too much on her mind. "Alex, you ok?"

She locked her eyes with Maggie's, "You shouldn't be out there, not until we find out what the hell this is"

Maggie sadly smiled, "I'm a cop, Alex. My job is to be out there."

"I know," Alex closed her eyes doing her best to calm her emotions. "Just promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise," Maggie whispered, unconsciously grabbing Alex's hand. The other woman slowly opened her eyes, looking down at their hands. They both missed the feeling of each other. How easy would be to just forget about everything that happened and fall back into each other's arms. But it wasn't that easy; duty comes first.

"I'll do some more research on whatever this is. Just let me know if you guys find anything else", Alex said, doing her best to sound rational and composed.

Maggie smiled, "Ok, that sounds fair." Slowly letting go of Alex's hand, she closed the case files and retrieved them from the desk. Alex, for a minute, didn't know what happened. She just knew she was missing the other woman's touch. She kept watching as Maggie looked around the room, searching for something.

"Alex, where's the coffee you promised me? Because I can smell it."

Alex laughed, "Yeah, just made a pot a few minutes before you arrived. You can use my cup."

Maggie walked towards the coffee pot and served herself a healthy amount. "So, I need to ask you something. My officers said that they had spotted Batwoman a few times this week. Do you happen to know anything about that? With Kate being dead, I don't know if the DEO recruited someone to take her place."

Alex coughed nervously, "Well, we did recruit someone."

Maggie walked closer to the other woman, "You did? I knew it. Is she here? I need to meet this new bad-ass in town."

"She isn't here, Maggie. She kind of works nights", Alex teased, "So stop fangirling."

"I'm not fangirling!", Maggie said way too excitedly.

"Calm down, Winn," Alex teased.

"Hey! I can take that as a huge offense, young lady. Don't give me that crap", Maggie said with a teasing smile, "Besides, Winn would agree with me. Batwoman is a bad-ass. And the leather, I'm always weak for a woman in leather."

"Oh? I should save that information for later. Might as well get some leather pants and walk into your office with it. Probably will be the talk of your office for weeks!", Alex teased.

Maggie almost choked on her coffee, "Alex, you wouldn't."

"Why not? I'll probably kill that receptionist of yours."

"Alex!", Maggie said placing the empty cup of coffee on the table.

"Fine, I'll be nice," Alex smiled. "But, in all seriousness. If Batwoman is crossing your jurisdiction beyond your comfort, let me know."

"Will do, Alex. I don't mind the extra help. She helps out a lot."

"Good"

"I should better get going. I need to brief my unit on your findings and see where we go from there", Maggie said, holding the files tightly.

"Ok, I'll let you know if we find anything else on our end."

Maggie smiled, stepping back towards the door. "See you around, Danvers."

"See you around, Sawyer," Alex watched the other woman go, forcing herself not to go after her. **_*Not yours anymore_** *, she reminded herself.

Looking back at the sample on the table, she knew she needed to do further tests and research on it. She also knew she needed to keep an eye out for Cadmus during her nightly escapades. It's going to be a very long week.

* * *

It was the middle of the night when Alex was woken up by her phone echoing in her apartment. She reached for her phone on the side of her bed. Looking at the screen, she saw it was Winn.

"This better be good," she told him through the phone.

"Not good at all. Bad as hell. Gunshots are coming from Maggie's apartment", he rapidly said.

"What!", Alex was rapidly on her feet. Forgetting her phone on the bed, she reached for her gun and bolted out of the apartment.


	5. The Clan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winn brings to light who could be behind Maggie's attack and Sawyer finally comes face to face with Batwoman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Let me know what you all think!

 

_It was the middle of the night when Alex was woken by her phone echoing through her apartment. She reached for her phone on the side of her bed. Looking at the screen, she saw it was Winn._

_"This better be good," she told him through the phone.  
_

_"Not good at all. Bad as hell. Gunshots are coming from Maggie's apartment", he rapidly said._

_"What!", Alex was rapidly on her feet. Forgetting her phone on the bed, she reached for her gun and bolted out of the apartment._

 

Alex ran down the stairs as fast as she could. Her body was going through the motions in complete autopilot. All she knew was that Maggie was in danger and she needed to make sure she was alright. Coming to an abrupt stop at the second floor, she looked to the right and saw Maggie's door wide open, and another shot was fired from the inside. Her feet started moving on their own as she ran into the room with her weapon up, ready to react to whatever she'll encounter inside. Scanning the room, she saw a dead man lying on the floor and another one pointing his weapon at Maggie while holding his side to the right of the room.

Alex didn't hesitate, she ran towards him and kicked his weapon off his hand. Grabbing him by his jacket, she threw him against the wall to her right. The mysterious man gasped in pain as Alex grabbed him by his neck.

"Who the fuck are you?", she asked placing her gun right on his temple.

"I'm just doing my job," he said painfully.

"Wrong answer," she punched him right in his gut. She could see a movement to her left. Turning her face towards it, she noticed Maggie pleading silently with her eyes. Looking back at the man, she scanned his body seeing the gunshot wound. Smiling internally, it always surprised her how deadly and precise Maggie was during close-range contact.

"What does Cadmus want with Lieutenant Sawyer?", Alex asked calmly, studying his reaction.

The man hesitated, "I don't know. I was ordered to eliminate her."

This infuriated Alex immensely. Roughly pulling him away from the wall and fiercely pushing him back against it, she knocked him out and saw his body slide down the wall.

"Alex!", she heard Maggie say. Alex just stared at him lost in thought, blocking out the woman's voice. She felt a gentle brush on her cheek. Looking to her left, she saw Maggie sadly smiling at her. "Where did you go?"

Maggie lowered her hand and pulled Alex away from the man. The agent started to visually inspect the other woman for any wounds, noticing a gash on her head. Besides that, nothing serious. "Sorry, he needed to be put in his place."

Maggie rolled her eyes at that, "Really? Cause it looked like you were about to kill the poor bastard."

"Well, he shouldn't come in the middle of the night to try to kill you," Alex said defensibly.

"Director Danvers, as you can see I am fine," Maggie looked down at her feet, "But, you always did look kind of cute when you worry about me."

Alex looked at the other woman, taken aback by her words. She was currently fighting the urge to bring her close. But she knew she couldn't. Instead, she decided to tease her. "I do?"

Maggie looked up at her and rolled her eyes, "Really, Danvers."

"Lieutenant?", A police officer said from the doorway. Noticing the injured man unconscious on the floor, the officers walked towards inside to handcuff the man.

After being sure the man was secured, Alex looked around the room and noticed the mess. "You know, I have a spare room you can stay in. At least until they clear the scene."

Maggie looked around her apartment and nodded in agreement, "Alright, let me get a few of my things."

Maggie walked to her room while Alex helped the police officers secure the apartment. Shortly, Maggie emerged back in the room with a small duffle. While she waited for Alex and the officers to finish gathering the evidence on the floor, she suspiciously looked at the other woman. Now that the adrenaline was slowly wearing down, there was something that didn't add up. "So, how did you know?"

Alex looked at her with a sad smile, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "Winn called me."

The Latina walked towards her, "He called you. How did he know?"

"You see, Winn lives right across the hall from you. So, he called me when he heard the commotion", Alex explained, making her way towards the door.

"Aha, and how you got here so fast?", Maggie asked, following the other woman. Alex looked back at her, grabbing her hand and walking outside the apartment making their way towards the elevator. After the elevator doors opened, they got in and pushed the ‘4' button.

"Alex," Maggie said suspiciously while the elevator moved slowly, "Who lives on the fourth floor?"

When they reached the floor, Alex pulled Maggie gently by her hand. "Alex"

Opening the door of her apartment, Alex looked back at her. "I live here."

Maggie laughed, "You what?"

Alex closed the door and walked towards the kitchen, "I live here."

Maggie looked around the room and laughed, "Of course you do."

"So, you're welcome to use anything you want in the apartment. The spare room is right next to the kitchen and mine is over next to the bathroom, but I'll probably stay over at Winn's."

"Why?", Maggie ask confused.

"I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. You know, history and everything", Alex said grabbing a few beers from the fridge.

"Being around you doesn't make me feel uncomfortable," Maggie said sitting at one of the bar stools on the kitchen island.

Alex handed her a beer and seriously looked at her, "It doesn't?"

"No," Maggie took a sip of her beer, "Nervous, but not uncomfortable."

Alex had to take a sip of her beer because Maggie Sawyer made her nervous as hell. What did she think when she asked her if she wanted to stay at her apartment? Oh yeah, she wasn't thinking at all. But, at least this way she knows Maggie is safe.

"Ok," that's all Alex could manage to say.

"Ok," Maggie looked around trying to change the subject, "So, you've been living here since you got Gotham?"

"Yes," Alex said taking another sip of her beer. She looked at the cut on Maggie's forehead and decided she needed to take care of that now before the blood dried out. "Let me clean that cut for you before it dries."

Grabbing the first aid kit sitting on the kitchen counter, she made her way towards the other woman. Gently moving Maggie's hair out of her face, she scrutinized the wound. It was a small gash, but it wasn't bad.

"The bullet missed but left a small number on your forehead. Nothing that needs stitches, though", Alex said, grabbing an alcohol swab from the kit, "This is going to sting a little bit."

Gently cleaning the wound, Alex tried her best to keep her heart under control. Having the other woman this close made her more than nervous. She could smell her faint perfume, feel her breath on her neck, feel her eyes on her while she worked on the wound. Looking down for a moment, she caught Maggie looking at her. She suddenly stopped moving, lost in her eyes.

"Alex," Maggie whispered before being interrupted by Alex's ringtone.

Alex rolled her eyes and lowered her hand, "I swear to God! If that's Winn, I'll kick his sorry ass". She stood up from the stool and walked towards her bedroom to get her phone. Maggie was giggling uncontrollably in the kitchen. "And you?! What is all that giggling out there?!"

Maggie just kept giggling, "Are you going to pick it up?"

Alex walked out of the bedroom and looked at Maggie, "You, quiet." Hitting the call button, she let out as menacing as possible: "Winn, what now?"

_"Hello to you as well_ ," Winn said on the other side, _"So, just to confirm, Maggie is staying with you?"_

"Yes," she answered looking at Maggie.

_"And she's there right now,"_ Winn said.

"Yes"

_"And I interrupted something."_

"Yes," Alex said sarcastically, making Maggie giggle again. That giggle was going to be the death of her.

_"Oh my, giggling. Alexandra Danvers, what are you doing to Lieutenant Dimples that has her giggling like a teenager?"_

"At the moment? Nothing due to your interruptions", she said wiggling her eyebrows at Maggie. She's enjoying giving Winn a hard time way too much. "We are just drinking a beer and was cleaning a cut. Nothing that needs any adult supervision."

_"Hilarious, Alex. If you need anything, give me a call. The detectives said that they should be done with Maggie's apartment in the next few days."_

"Ok, that sounds good. I'll let her know", Alex said walking towards the other woman, "Anything else?"

_"Nope, I guess you're also staying in tonight?"_

"Yes, it's better that way. If you happen to find something or anything comes up, let me know. We'll talk tomorrow at the office."

_"Ok, boss. Talk to you tomorrow?"_

"Yeah, talk tomorrow," Alex said ending the call and setting the phone on the kitchen island.

"What was that all about?", Maggie asked with a broad smile.

"Just poor Winn feeling my wrath," Alex teased, "He said your apartment should be ready in the next few days."

"Awesome," Maggie smiled looking at Alex, "Don't give him such a hard time."

"I'll try," Alex rolled her eyes. Placing the beer on the island, she closed the first aid kit. "That cut looks like it will heal fine."

"Thanks," Maggie said getting up from the stool, "Always the caring doctor."

"Don't you start with the teasing as well," Alex pointed the finger at Maggie, "I have enough with Winn."

Maggie smiled, "I know." She walked towards her duffle and picked it up, "I think we should call it a night. We both have lots of paperwork to do tomorrow."

Alex laughed, "Yeap, goodnight."

"Night" Maggie smiled and headed to the spare room, leaving a sad but hopeful Alex behind.

 

* * *

 

 

"So, let me get this straight, Maggie is staying in the spare room," Winn teased, closing Alex's office door.

"Yes," Alex said closing her eyes and laying back in her chair.

"In your spare room," Winn said, "Your ex-fiancé is staying in your spare room."

Alex opened her eyes and looked straight at him, "Yes, because I'm a gentlewoman and this way I know Cadmus won't get to her. They won't be that stupid."

"True," Winn said, "Talking about Cadmus, we have an ID on those two guys that stormed Maggie's apartment last night."

That got her attention. Sitting up straighter, she waited for Winn to elaborate.

"So, Joel and Ashton Wainwright were brothers indirectly working with Cadmus. They were born in Metropolis and recruited by the organization at National City. Their list of crimes go from simple bank robberies to connections with multiple massacres here in Gotham", Winn abruptly stopped.

"Massacres? Winn, what about them?", Alex knew all too well that when Winn stopped like that, it meant something terrible was happening.

Winn looked up, "All the massacres are not only connected to Cadmus, but to the Joker clan."

"Shit," Alex closed her eyes to think for a minute, "When we were together, Maggie told me she worked in multiple cases concerning the Joker clan before we met. Could you please search every case she worked on the clan?"

"Will do, boss," Winn said walking out of her office.

Alex looked down at her phone, tempted to give Maggie a call but changed her mind. She knew she needed to act fast before the clan got to Maggie. "This is bad."

 

* * *

 

 

 "The DEO doesn't see anything from their perimeters, Alex. Can you go any farther without being spotted?", She heard from her earpiece, trying to be as quiet as possible. She looked around, and she was at the closest building possible from their target. The DEO received intelligence that the clan was operating from a building located near the Gotham pier. The Joker clan never stayed at the same place for long, a strategy that had helped them stay operational for decades. If they get a hold of someone inside the clan, it was possible to lead them to Cadmus. "This is as far as I could go without being spotted. I mean, whose bright idea was to give Batwoman a red cape and a red bat across her chest?"

She could hear Winn laugh, "That was all Kane, not me."

Alex smiled cause yes, that was all Kate and her red obsession. "I don't see any movement from here. What's the ETA for GCPD?"

"They should be there in less than two minutes. Keep your eyes open; I think they have the big guns with them."

"The big guns?", She asked but stayed quiet as the GCPD made the scene. SWAT came out, followed closely by two squads of officers. On the last unmarked patrol, she saw Maggie walked out calmly, vest on and gun at the ready.

"Shit," she whispered keeping a close eye on her. She needed to find a way to get closer just in case the clan did something stupid. To the right of the building, Alex saw an emergency access ladder she could use to reach the street below. Slowly, she made her way towards it still keeping an eye on the activity below.

Reaching the ground, she stayed as far away for not to be spotted but close enough to hear the conversation by the GCPD. She could faintly hear Maggie bark orders while she kept an eye on any possible movement coming from within. Looking up at the building, she saw a quick spark that could only be the sun's reflection on a snipper nuzzle. She acted fast and started making her way towards Maggie when she felt the gunshot on her side. Alex covered Maggie with her body as much as she could as she felt another bullet hit her armor.

"Batwoman!", She heard an officer say as she opened her eyes and looked down at Maggie who was currently pinned under her. She had surprise written all over her face.

"You alright, Lieutenant?", Alex asked, mentally thanking all the gods possible for remembering to turn on her voice changer.

"Yes," she answered looking up at Batwoman. "You?"

Alex slowly stood up, already feeling the bruises forming where the bullets hit her armor. "I'll be ok. You shouldn't be here; this clan is targeting you."

Maggie looked at Batwoman suspiciously, "How do you know that?"

"Director Danvers debriefed me before sending me out. Let's just say she has your best interest in mind", Batwoman teased as she helped the other woman get up.

Maggie smiled, "Then I'll have to thank her for sending me my guardian angel…in leather"

Batwoman laughed, "Yeah, not your typical one."

Maggie somehow felt at ease talking to the Vigilante, familiar even. Made her miss Alex all the sudden, working with her always felt safe. Being around her always felt like home. Hearing a commotion from behind, she turned around and saw the officers and saw that they were heading inside the building. Looking back towards where Batwoman was standing a minute ago, she noticed the Vigilante was gone.

 

* * *

 

 Sitting on her couch, Alex kept an ice pack on her side while reviewing the reports from this afternoon's raid. Apparently, the clan used to work from that building but abandoned ship a few weeks ago. They received stale intel in the group and almost got Maggie killed in the process. They were waiting for them, was a well planned out trap. Turning the page, she saw a picture of a weird graffiti located on one of the inside walls of the building. She recognized part of it. It was Cadmus, but different from the National City emblem. Probably it was a chapter emblem? Who knows.

She heard the front door unlocked and saw Maggie walk in, her eyes looking straight at the ice pack. She closed the door and walked towards Alex.

"What happened?", she asked taking her leather jacket off.

"Nothing, just training," Alex lied, "I'll be fine."

Maggie sat at the coffee table and locked eyes with the other woman, "I know you're lying."

Alex smiled, "I know. DEO stuff that I can't talk about."

"Ok," Maggie said sadly, "So, met your girl today. She saved my ass from a sniper."

"She did? Good. Didn't want to fire her so early on", Alex joked.

Maggie laughed. Looking at the icepack, she moved her hand to the hem of Alex's shirt and slowly lifted it. She looked at the bruises in horror; they looked all shades of black and blue.

"Alex," she whispered in surprise, "What the hell?"

"Was shot, it hit my body armor. Nothing broken, I swear", Alex tried to explain, but the other woman wasn't buying it.

Maggie slowly grabbed the file resting on Alex's lap without breaking eye contact and placed it beside her on the coffee table, "Nothing broken, huh?"

Alex looked at Maggie suspiciously as she moved closer and straddled her lap, closing her eyes in pain.

"Alexandra, you can't lie to me," Maggie said cupping the other woman's face.

Alex looked at Maggie, "You sure are evil." Placing her hands on Maggie's hips, she tried to remain in control of her emotions.

"No, I'm not," Maggie whispered placing a kiss on Alex's forehead and slowly standing up. "You need to take care of those bruises first before you start acting upon those carnal urges."

Alex looked at her in shock. A second ago Maggie was straddling her, and now she was seeing her walk away.

"Goodnight, Alex," Maggie said closing the guest room door.

Alex just laughed. What the hell did just happened? She felt her phone vibrate. Looking down, she saw it was a text from Maggie.

_‘Don't you laugh…what did you expect, for me to kiss your bruises all better?'_

"Maybe!", Alex shouted, and she could hear Maggie laugh from inside the room. She felt another text come in.

_‘One day, Danvers'_

Alex quickly typed, _‘You promise?'_

_‘Yes. Just need to be sure you want to be with me. I'm not interested in becoming one of your one-night stands.'_

_‘What do you mean?'_

She heard the guest room door open and saw Maggie walk out. Laying against the door frame, Maggie intently looked at her. "Who is Sara Lance?"

______

 

 

 

 

 

 


	6. Doubts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you all think!

 

She heard the guest room door open and saw Maggie walk out. Laying against the door frame, Maggie intently looked at her. "Who is Sara Lance?" 

Of all the questions to ask, Maggie had to ask her who Sara was. It wasn't an easy question to answer, but she deserved the truth. If Alex had any hopes of fixing things with Maggie, she needed to be straightforward with her. Alex sat up straighter on the couch, looking at the other woman with a sad smile.

"I don't know if you have heard of the White Canary," Alex started, waiting for a response from Maggie. 

"Heard about her, yes. I did work with Black Canary and the Birds of Prey before. Isn't she a villain?"

"In our Earth? Yes, she is. On Earth-1? She's Black Canary's younger sister. But that's a very long and confusing story. But the Sara Lance I'm talking about is more of a hero", Alex tried to explain.

Maggie made her way to the kitchen, grabbing an empty glass and the bottle of scotch. Alex gave her a confused look. The cop raised an eyebrow, "You want some? Cause I know, I'll be needing some knowing where this conversation is going." 

Alex stood up and walked towards the kitchen island, taking a seat on the stool across from Maggie. "Sure, I know I'll be needing some liquid courage to get this all out."

The cop poured scotch on two glasses, gently pushing one towards Alex. "So, where did you two meet?" 

Taking a sip of her scotch, Alex answered, "On Earth-1, at Barry's wedding. You remember him?" 

"I do, Mr. Flash," Maggie smiled sadly.

"Yeah. So, I met her at the reception and we kind of went overboard with our drinking. And then I woke up next to her", Alex was looking at her glass. She couldn't bring her eyes up to see the other woman's reaction. All she knew was that Maggie was quiet. Bringing her eyes up, she saw unshed tears and a sad smile. That tore her heart up. 

"When was Barry's wedding?", Maggie asked.

This was the actual question Alex feared, "A few weeks after we broke up?" She suddenly saw a flash of anger pass through Maggie's eyes. Her hopes of ever fixing things with the other woman were slowly slipping away. She saw Maggie finish her drink in one gulp and loudly placed it back on the counter.

"A few weeks, Alex," Maggie said agitated, "It's good to know you can move on that fast."

"Maggie…"

"You know what? It doesn't matter. You were single when you went to Earth-1, I have no right to be angry at what happened between you two."

"Maggie, please…", Alex pleaded for the other woman to stop. 

"No, Alex. You made yourself very clear. I wasn't enough for you, and I couldn't give you what you wanted. You deserve better than me", Maggie started to say, tears falling freely. "All I want is for you to be happy, Alex. With whoever that might be. And part of that searching for happiness process is having nights like the one you had with Sara. You just have to go out there and search for that perfect woman. And whenever you do, you'll be truly happy."

Alex felt her heart break even more. Maggie didn't sound angry, but sad. At the same time, she was just saying all the right things. Alex could see so many emotions going through her eyes. Did she damage their relationship to the point of no return? Has Maggie given up? Did she ever have any hope, to begin with? 

"What if I had already found that woman? What if she's been standing right in front of me all along?", Alex asked, hopeful.

"Then you would have married her already and wouldn't have broken her heart," Maggie smiled sadly, placing a hand on top of Alex's. "I'm not angry you slept with Sara. I'm angry because you doubted us and decided to take the easy way out."

"I've never doubted my love for you."

Maggie moved her hand away from Alex's, "But you did doubt if you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me because you thought I would never want kids."

Alex looked at the other woman confused, "I thought? You told me you didn't want any kids."

Maggie smiled sadly, "But I didn't say never. We didn't talk about the subject, Alex. You never gave me a chance to change my mind. And now, it may be too late."

Alex was in shock. Maggie did have a point, she did bring the subject out of the blue, and they never sat down and talked about it. She saw the other woman walking towards the guest room, following her with her eyes. Maggie looked back at her, sadly smiling at her. "If you would have talked to me about the subject, you could have changed my mind. But you didn't give me a chance to do that, didn't even try to. But, I hope you find true happiness someday. You truly deserve it."

Alex wanted to tell her how much she still loved her, how much she needed her in her life. But Maggie was right; she had doubts she needed to settle. She wanted to stop her from leaving her, but she couldn't move from her seat on the island. She saw Maggie close the door and knew it was going to be a very long night.

* * *

 

Maggie took a deep breath and laid back on the closed door. Currently, it was the only physical obstacle separating her from Alex. Emotionally? She didn't know. She knows Alex loves her, but she's afraid that her doubts are stronger than their love. She knew staying here with Alex was a mistake, one that she didn't think through.

One of the hardest parts in all this was that she wanted to be here, even if it hurt her very soul. Maggie could open this door that was separating them right now and go to Alex, start all over again, see if their life this time around would have a happy ending. But something was keeping her from doing that. Doubt. The doubt that kept Alex from marrying her in the first place, the uncertainty that's currently holding Maggie from letting Alex fully come back to her life.

She felt a tear run freely down her cheek, "I'm so screwed." 

* * *

 

It was chaos in GCPD. Two police officers were killed during the morning hours by the Joker Clan. The emotions at the precinct were high, and everyone was running on adrenaline. Every time a brother in blue got hurt, it gets personal. There were teams sent to gather evidence at the crime scene while Maggie tried to keep the situation under control at headquarters. The Commissioner personally asked her to find the ones responsible for this atrocity and bring their heads on a silver platter. She needed to be sure who did this first before she endangered more cops on the street.

It didn't help that her mind and heart weren't in the right place. All she could think about was Alex and that conversation they had last night. She had stopped herself a couple of times last night on crossing to Alex's room. And this morning? She's doing everything humanly possible not to call her. She's avoiding Alex or at least convincing herself repeatedly to avoid her.

"Lieutenant?", she heard one of her detectives say.

Maggie looked up from the file she was staring blankly at, her mind lost in thought for however long. She forgot for a moment that she was in her office. Pushing the image of Alex's face to the back of her mind, she gave the detective her undivided attention. "Detective, what did you find?"

"So, we have a prime suspect in both murders. But you won't like what I'm about to tell you."

"Don't tell me; the Joker escaped from Arkham?", Maggie tried to bring some humor to the already dark situation.

"I wish it were him, but it isn't," the detective said, "But evidence states that Batwoman did this"

Maggie wasn't expecting that at all. That wasn't possible. "Wait, what? That's impossible. Batwoman couldn't have done this." 

"Well, we found some of her gadgets on the scene, and we have some witnesses that said they saw her leave the scene of the crime. It's not 100%, but she's our main suspect. The thing is, we don't know where to find her to question her", the detective explained. 

"That's all the evidence you've gathered? Gadgets?", Maggie was frustrated at this point. This felt somehow off.

"I know, but that's all we could find"

"Don't worry; I think I know where to find her. I'll go question her myself." 

* * *

 

"Jesus Christ, Alex!", Winn exclaimed, helping Alex move towards the nearest stool. Alex heard the rumors that two cops were killed earlier today and went to find the suspects. The only thing she saw was an agent from Cadmus with an alien weapon resembling an RPG that sent her flying against the nearest building wall. The result? Possibly a broken rib, of course, she hit the same already-bruised spot and her broken mask that left a large gash on her right eyebrow. She opened her eyes and saw Winn's terrified face.

"Alex, just so you know, your face is a bloody mess. I'm going to go and find one of the on-duty doctors for you. Don't you dare to get out of the suit in that state", he said, quickly walking out of the room.

Alex closed her eyes, trying her very best to think happy thoughts to keep her mind away from the terrible pain she's feeling. She still couldn't believe she let the culprits escape. The GCPD must be furious right now. She heard steps coming her way and heard a gasp.

"Winn, don't exaggerate. It can't be that bad", she opened her eyes, and she suddenly felt panic. Maggie was standing right in front of her, wearing a shocked expression.

"Alex, oh my God. You alright?", Maggie said, quickly walking towards her. She cupped the other woman's face and checked her wound. "It's not deep. It looks bad, but it's not deep."

"Maggie, I can explain," Alex started to say, being interrupted by the cop.

"I know you didn't kill them, Alex."

Alex looked at her confused, "Kill who?"

"The cops. Evidence says that Batwoman killed them. But I know you didn't", Maggie sadly smiled. 

Alex smiled at the other woman, placing a gloved hand over Maggie's. "You knew I was Batwoman all along, didn't you?" 

"What can I say, I was so good at detecting I got promoted to lieutenant. Besides, you getting hurt exactly were Batwoman got hurt, doesn't exactly help your case", Maggie lowered her hands when she heard footsteps. "Also, before I forget, leather suits you well. I may need to file this image for later."

Alex blushed, "Maggie?! You know that the real thing is much better than any photographic image." 

Maggie smiled, "Oh, I know how good the real thing can be. But going back to the subject at hand, just because you're badly hurt doesn't mean that I forgot that I need to question you later. Whenever you're done here, I need you to go to the precinct and meet me at my office. I need a statement of what you saw and your assistance on anything you know that can help on the case. If we don't find who did this quick, Batwoman will be placed on the most wanted list."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be there", Alex said. Looking behind Maggie, she saw the doctor with Winn. "Mags, could you keep this quiet? My identity, I mean."

"I will. I already have practice in that department anyway", Maggie joked, walking towards the door. She stopped right beside Winn and smiled.

"Hi, Maggie," he said nervously.

"Hi, neighbor," she laughed, "We still need to talk about that, you little sneaky traitor."

Winn opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"I'm joking. It's nice to know you had my back. Talk to you later." 

* * *

 

Alex walked into the Science Division precinct, going straight to Maggie's office. The moment she walked in, she saw the cutest scene since she dated the latina. Maggie was taking a nap on the couch on the farthest wall of the room. She looked so small, but so at peace. Simply adorable. She closed the door behind her and placed Maggie's coffee on her desk. She walked towards the couch, sitting on its arm. Alex just stared at her, suddenly remembered something J'onn told her before she asked Maggie to marry her:

_"Do you see yourself living without her?", He asked, "Cause if you do, you should walk away from her and save her the pain and heartbreak. If you can't live without her, then make an honest woman out of her. Marry her and make her happy."_

Alex smiled sadly and whispered, "I'm such a piece of shit." Even though she didn't see herself living without Maggie, she still broke her heart.

She looked around the room, trying to distract herself from her thoughts. An impossible task these days. Lately, the only thing she was were doubts. Doubts about having children, of being a good parent. She had realized through all this time apart from Maggie was that she didn't want to be one anymore. She wanted to be happy; she wanted Maggie. But she felt she was a year too late. 

"Lieutenant?", She saw a detective walk in the office. Alex smiled at him, gently tapping on Maggie's shoulder to wake her up. The woman sat up, looking at Alex in confusion.

"Ma'am," the detective repeated. Maggie looked at him and waited for him to continue, "We found something else."

"Ok? What gadgets did you find this time?", she said sarcastically.

"Um, no. So, forensics came back on the bodies. The M.E. found similarities from past cases involving Cadmus. They were all missing the same parts of their brain", the detective explained, getting the full attention of both Alex and Maggie.

"What part exactly?", Alex asked, intrigued by this new piece of evidence.

"Director Danvers, they were missing their whole brain stems."

"Ok, that's not part of the brain. But it's what connects the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord. But that's very odd. Why would Cadmus want brain stems?", Alex asked lost in thought.

"The M.E. doesn't know, but with this evidence, we know Cadmus is responsible for the officers' deaths. Batwoman is off the hook", he said with a smile. "At least we still have her on our side."

"Yes," Maggie said, smiling at Alex, "We do."


	7. Actions Worth a Thousand Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how much I enjoy all your reviews! So, leave me a word and let me know what you think! <3

After receiving a detailed report from the GCPD Medical Examiner, Alex realized that the situation regarding Cadmus and the Joker Clan went deeper than she thought. Apparently, Cadmus needed brain stems to perform cloning experiments like the ones they had done for many years in National City. But the question remained: what do they want to achieve with all this? She needed to find a way to uncover their master plan. For some odd reason, this type of experiments didn't strike her as the usual work of Lillian Luthor. Somehow, this seemed different and could be one of the reasons Kate Kane got killed.

When Alex first arrived at Gotham, her Deputy Director informed her that everything that once belonged to Kate was relocated permanently to the DEO basement. Maybe Kate found something that could bring some light into this. Maybe Cameron also knew something about this and got killed in the process. Probably she would find something within Kate's belongings. Alex knew very well that Kate loved to keep everything digital for quick and easy access. She decided that a perfect place to start was within Kate's hard drive collection.

Looking at the first box in the room, she grabbed a box labeled "Hard Drives" and moved it to the small desk at the corner of the room. She set up her DEO laptop and grabbed one of the hard drives out of the box. Connected it to her DEO laptop, she opened the application and started browsing throughout the files. Most of the data in the drive were cases Kate had previously worked in conjunction with Batman, others with the DEO, none of them helped her with the current case. Ejecting the hard drive and placing it aside, she grabbed another one from the box and connected it to the port at the laptop. Scanning other numerous files, she found one labeled ‘Talia.' Opening it, she saw various pictures of a woman she recognized, wearing a simple black outfit with the emblem of ‘The League of Assassins'.

"Talia al Ghul," Alex whispered as things started to make some sense. This file was created a few days before Kate's murder. The file contained a few pictures of Talia with differently known criminals, three of them whom Alex suspected were directly linked to Cadmus here in Gotham: Lillian Luthor, Joker, and Harley Quinn. Most pictures were recent except for the one with Harley. She opened the information on that picture, and it said it was three years old. It made sense, hearing the rumors of Harley's death around that time frame.

Closing that file, Alex opened another file labeled ‘Harley' and noticed something unusual in this file. All the pictures in it were taken by the GCPD Forensic Photographer and were all linked to Harley's murder case. She then opened a case file in the picture folder labeled ‘GCPD 623487'. It was the detail police report on Harley Quinn's death. Now Alex understood perfectly why the Joker Clan was so fixated in Maggie, she was the one responsible for Harley Quinn's death and personally sent the Joker to Arkham Asylum. Maggie Sawyer killed Harley.

"Fuck," Alex said to herself as she continued reading the police report. Apparently, it was a clean shot, and all charges against Maggie were dropped. All these events happened months before Maggie was transferred to the Science Division in National City. And all this time she thought she knew everything about Maggie's past. Apparently, she didn't know enough.

Closing the file, Alex opened another one labeled ‘Cadmus.' Inside, she found pictures of Talia experimenting on humans. Or so that's what she thought. Paying close attention to the pictures, she realized that all those people looked different than regular humans. They were clones. Opening a word document inside the ‘Cadmus' file, there laid some notes made by Kate describing what she found about the clone trials made by Cadmus and led by Talia herself. Apparently, the clone trials seemed to fail time and time again due to missing an essential ingredient for the clones to adequately function. Kate stated that the clones looked soulless and would degrade quickly as their bodies couldn't fully connect to the brain, preventing the brain activity to reach the rest of the body thoroughly. 

"Probably the reason they need all those brain stems," Alex whispered to herself as she finished reading the report. Not finding anything else useful to the current cases, she closed the file and ejected the drive. Grabbing another one from the pile and connecting it to the laptop, she noticed this one didn't have much data in it. Opening each folder one by one, she saw most pictures were of Kate with different women, probably her girlfriends through the years. Quickly browsing through them, one picture made her blood go cold. It was a picture of Maggie, naked under the sheets, smiling at the camera. Alex stared at it in shock. She admired how beautiful the other woman looked, how happy she looked in it. Forcing herself out of her state of shock, she browsed some more and found more pictures of the two women together. Some of them kissing, others just posing for the camera like a happy couple. Looking at the dates on the photos, these were all taken shortly before Maggie being transferred to National City.

This meant that the Maggie and Kate were together when Harley was killed when all this went down. Probably Batwoman was there during the event, and the only one who could bring more light to the case is currently six-feet under the ground. Did Maggie know Kate was Batwoman? Is that the reason she doesn't mind the Vigilante? Trying to regain focus on the case and also not being able to look at any of these pictures any longer, Alex closed the files and ejected the drive. She neatly placed it inside the box and put the lid back on it. She stared at the box for a while longer, her mind going back to Maggie and Kate. Was it possible for Maggie to have loved Kate more than she ever loved Alex? Did Maggie still love Kate? Did Maggie genuinely love Alex?

**_‘I hope you love me as much as I do, Maggie. Cause I can't compete with a ghost.'_ **

* * *

 

For the past fifteen minutes, Alex's mind has been absent from the current meeting. After finding the evidence connecting Cadmus with the Joker Clan, she texted Maggie to arrange an emergency meeting with the department Chiefs and brief them on the findings. After briefing them on Talia's connection to Cadmus and the Joker Clan's possible motivation for revenge against Maggie, they went in a tangent on how they always knew that leaving the Joker alive was a bad idea. It didn't surprise Alex; they always seemed to believe that killing the head of a group like the Joker Clan was a great idea. But, it was the worst thing they could do. They also seemed to forget about the main issue at hand, the possible use of brain stems to revamp Cadmus' clones. Alex was blankly staring at Maggie who was arguing yet again how a bad idea it was to sentence the Joker to death as they could not only face double jeopardy but could also leave a headless monster roaming the streets of Gotham. Damn, she was so proud of Maggie right now.

Maggie looked at Alex to find any support, but what she got in return was a blank expression. Looking around the room and noticing everyone was at each other's throats, she took her phone out of her pocket to text Alex. 

M: **_‘Are you okay? You seem to be out of it.'_**

Alex felt her phone vibrate and went to retrieve it from her pocket. Reading Maggie's message, she looked towards the other woman and back to her phone. 

A: **_‘I'm fine.'_**

M: **_‘You're a terrible liar, Alex. Something is bothering you. Everything ok?'_**

Alex looked back up and noticed no one was paying attention to them. Looking back down at her phone, she wrote back: **_‘Yes, something has been bothering me. But I don't think this is the time nor the place to talk about it.'_**

M: **_‘Really? You're as excited as me about this meeting, and I think we could use our time wisely. What's going on?'_**

Giving in, Alex texted back: **_‘You never told me you and Kate were a thing?'_**

Maggie looked up in shock and Alex took a deep breath, she wasn't going to like this one bit. 

M: **_‘Yes, we were. Right after Emily. We dated for a little while.'_**

A: **_‘You two looked happy.'_**

M: **_‘What do you mean?'_**

A: **_‘While looking for any clues in Kate's hard drives, I found some pictures of you two.'_**

Maggie looked up from her phone to make eye contact with Alex and what she saw pained her. The other woman was hurt. But she needed to understand that her relationship with Kate was way before she and Alex were together. 

M: **_‘Alex, you can't expect to believe that I was pure and cast before you. I have a past, we all do.'_**

A: **_‘I know. Just seeing you naked in someone else's bed is heartbreaking, doesn't matter when it happened.'_**

Now Maggie understood what was going on, Alex must have found some rather personal pictures of Kate and her. 

M: **_‘Alex, it's all in the past.'_**

A: ** _‘I know it's all in the past, but it hurts the same. Seeing the woman you love like that, and knowing you'll never have her that way, it's killing me.'_**

Maggie looked at Alex and could see her fighting her tears, trying her best to keep them at bay. Looking down at her phone she wrote, hoping she could calm the other woman down. At least until they can have a proper conversation about the subject: **_‘Alex, what makes you think you'll never have me that way again?'_**

Before Alex could reply to her message, their attention suddenly was brought back to the meeting as the members were drawing it to a close.

"Let's just stop this nonsense for now and find a way to solve this. Lieutenant Sawyer, as you are one of the possible prime targets of the Joker Clan, we're asking you to keep a low profile in this case. You can assist all you want, but you won't have a main role in this case", the Chief of Police stated. 

Maggie smiled sadly, "I'll do my best. The Science Division will work on the sidelines on this one."

"Then the DEO will take charge on this investigation, reporting all findings to Lieutenant Sawyer and her team. We'll send Batwoman and assigned teams to different areas to gather more information on Cadmus and the Clan", Alex said placing her phone face down on the table, "Maybe they can find something more concrete on Talia's experiments and her involvement with Cadmus." 

"That sounds good to me, Director Danvers," Commissioner Gordon said, raising a hand at Maggie to stop her from protesting. "I don't want to hear it, Sawyer." 

Maggie then looks at Alex with worry, trying to make her change her mind. But Alex gave her a look, daring her not to stop her.

"Is that good with you Lieutenant?", Alex asked.

"Fine by me, Director," Maggie forced herself to say. She didn't like this one bit. The idea of Alex getting hurt terrified her. But she knew she wasn't in any position to stop her.

* * *

Staying away from cases was something Maggie wasn't used to doing. She wanted to be out there, helping the team out in any way she could. But now that it was confirmed that the Clan was after her, it took her off the battle until all this was settled. She got back to the apartment an hour past midnight, and still there was no sign of Alex.

**_‘I hope you're alright.'_ **

* * *

Alex sat at her desk, looking through some files she found in one of Cadmus safe houses. Did it contain some blueprints to some minimalistic nuclear weapon? Probably this was the weapon Cadmus designed and built that made those yellow burns they found a few weeks ago.

"You're avoiding her, are you?", Alex heard Winn ask from the doorway. She looked up from the file at her desk and rolled her eyes.

"No, I'm not," she said looking back down. "I'm just busy going through these files I found." 

Winn walked in and sat down on the seat right across from her desk. "Yes, you are avoiding her like the plague. You've been acting strange since going through Kate's things. What did you find that has you acting like this?"

Alex looked up and bit her lower lip, "Something." 

"About the case?", Winn asked testing his luck.

"Yes, found some stuff linked to the case. But also found some other stuff that was better off not knowing.", she said closing the file.

"What?"

"Just pictures of Kate…and Maggie", Alex explained, playing with a pen on her desk.

"We all have a past, Alex. It was no secret that Maggie dated Kate. But Kate had a reputation so that it could have just been a quick fling", Winn tried to comfort Alex, knowing all too well that it wouldn't achieve anything. 

"Doesn't matter," Alex said getting up from her chair. "I need to go home. Have to confront Maggie sooner or later, anyway."

"You know, for breaking off your engagement, you act and sound jealous of something you can't change," Winn teased.

"Maybe I'm jealous," Alex said grabbing her jacket from behind her chair. "Maybe it kills me just the idea that someone else has known her the way I know her. It doesn't matter if it was all before we met. Maybe, what's killing me, is the idea that she could one day look at someone else the way she used to look at me. We were supposed to be each other's last."

"Do you still love her, Alex?", Winn asked, knowing full well the answer.

"Of course I do." 

Winn stood up and walked closer to Alex, "Ok, now you listen to me cause I'm getting tired of this. I don't know what games you two are playing, but you need to stop thinking about what YOU want and start thinking about what SHE wants. Stop this petty jealousy, Alex. You love her? Then, go back to that apartment and win her back. Make her fall in love with you again, gain her trust. You two were given another chance. Don't waste it." 

Alex smiled at him and nodded, "I don't know when you got all knowledgeable and wise, but you're right. I will go back there and work this out. Now, I just have to figure out a way to win her heart once again."

* * *

It was seven in the morning when Alex finally arrived at her apartment. She went straight to the kitchen island where she placed her jacket on the back of one of the stools, dropped her keys and emptied her pockets. Making her way towards her bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes, she noticed Maggie sound asleep on the couch. Stopping for a moment to admire her peaceful sleeping face covered by the early sun's light, Alex simply smiled. It warmed her heart to see Maggie this way. Watching her sleep was one of her favorite pastimes when they were together. Feeling the morning chill settling in the room, she walked around and grabbed the warm fleece blanket laying on the floor behind the couch. She then carefully covered Maggie's sleeping form with it, doing her best not to disturb her peaceful sleep.

Knowing fully well that Maggie should be getting up soon for work, Alex walked back to the kitchen and started the coffee machine. She then walked to the fridge and got some ingredients out to make breakfast for both of them. She decided that chocolate chip pancakes would be appropriate. She didn't remember the last time she ate, all she knew was that she was starving. Remembering how notorious Maggie was on skipping meals during the day, she was sure she would be starving. Looking back towards the couch, she saw the other woman beginning to stir awake. Alex silently laughed as she heard Maggie mumble something under her breath while stretching on the sofa. 

"Morning, sunshine," Alex said, stirring the pancake mix while adding the chocolate chips to the mix.

Maggie sat up on the couch, rubbing her eyes. "Morning, smells good. What are you cooking?"

"Pancakes," Alex said as she flipped them on the pan. "I'm pretty sure you want some. I think I heard your stomach talk to me while you snore."

Maggie laughed sarcastically, "I don't snore, Danvers."

"Sure, keep lying to yourself. How much you want to bet that the neighbors heard you on the first floor", Alex teased, placing the cooked pancakes on a plate. She heard Maggie walked towards the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Alex giggled to herself; it felt good to tease the other woman. It felt like the good old days in National City. Of course, minus the lack of romance in their lives. 

"Now that's all your fault, you idiot," Alex whispered to herself.

"What is your fault?", Maggie asked as she walked towards the kitchen, taking a seat on the other side of the kitchen island.

"You know, me almost burning a pancake," Alex lied, placing a plate of pancakes in front of the other woman. "You know how clumsy I am in the kitchen."

Maggie just stared at her, knowing entirely well she was lying. But she let it slide. "Yeah, I'm surprised you haven't burned the place down." 

Grabbing an empty plate, Maggie placed some pancakes and butter with syrup on top. Alex turned around and poured coffee into a cup, putting it in front of the other woman. After taking a bite, Maggie moaned, "Wow, this is good." 

Alex swallowed, closing her eyes, "Yeah. Glad to know those are THAT good." 

Maggie laughed, "You ok there, Danvers? Do you need a room?" 

"Yes, sure, I'm fine," Alex turned around and served herself a cup of coffee. "Just think that THAT sound should be illegal in all 50 states and the five populated territories."

"So specific, Danvers," Maggie laughed, finishing her breakfast. Standing up, she walked around and placed the dishes in the sink. Turning around, she stared at Alex for a minute. "Alex, there is a certain conversation we need to have." 

Alex took a sip of her coffee, knowing full well where this was going. "Ok, what do you want to talk about?"

Maggie pulled herself up to sit on the counter, thinking carefully how to start the conversation. "Yesterday during the meeting, you texted me about some pictures you found." 

"Yeah, I found them in one of Kate's hard drives," Alex answered, placing the empty cup on the island behind her. 

"You do know that it all happened before I met you," Maggie said, doing her best to stay calm. 

"I know. But you did come back to Gotham while Kate was still alive", Alex said, looking down at her feet. 

"I did, but I didn't come back for Kate. She and I were over a long time ago. We did end the relationship in good terms, but we both knew our relationship was strictly physical. I came back here to try to forget you, not get back with Kate", Maggie's heart started to race. "You know, it was tough for me to see you almost every day on random crime scenes across town. It got hard to work side by side with the woman I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with and knowing that she no longer wanted me. I just needed to get away for a bit." 

Alex processed what Maggie said. Remembering what Winn told her about forgetting what she wanted and thinking about what Maggie wanted. She needed to put the other woman first. "I know. I'm sorry. To tell you the truth, I have regretted my decision since you walked out of our apartment. But I have slowly learned to live with my decision. I wanted to run after you but didn't know how you would react to me magically appearing at your door." 

"Alex, I texted you my address." 

"You mean when you were asking about your passport?", Alex asked confused. 

"Yes, I did give you my address on purpose," Maggie laughed sadly, "Part of me wanted you to come and look for me. But after I received it in the mail, I took it as I sign that you didn't want to see me. So, I asked for a transfer, and here I am." 

"Maggie, I wanted to see you. I thought you didn't want to see me", Alex sighed, "We are one weird duo. And I'm just stupid for letting you go." 

Maggie smiled, "We are. Yesterday when you texted those things, which you would never have me that way, made me realize that we have both lost hope in us." 

Alex pushed herself away from the counter and walked towards Maggie, stopping close to the other woman. "Probably we did. But doesn't mean that we couldn't give it another try. That is if you ever want me back." 

Maggie smiled, "Danvers, would I be staying at your apartment if I didn't want you in my life?" 

Alex smiled, "Probably you are only interested in my comfy couch." 

Maggie laughed, gently pulling Alex's shirt to bring her closer to her. "Have to admit, that couch is rather comfortable." 

Alex was just melting with Maggie's laugh. How could she ever believe she could live without this woman in her life? Children could wait a thousand years if necessary, as long as she had Maggie she couldn't care less about kids. This right here was what indeed made her happy. "Maggie Sawyer, would you make me the happiest woman in this universe and go out on a date with me?"

Maggie smiled, cupping Alex's face with both her hands. "Can I keep the couch?" 

Alex laughed. Of course, Maggie had to throw a joke right at that moment. "Yes, you can keep the couch." 

Maggie closed the distance and placed a chaste kiss on Alex's lips. "Yes, I would love to." 

Alex's head was spinning. Maggie just kissed her. It was short but perfect. She owed Winn big time for this. "Ok, I'll give you the details later today." 

"Ok," Maggie smiled, "Now I need to get ready for work before I get demoted to the traffic officer." 

Alex saw Maggie pushed herself off the counter and walked towards her room. Before she disappeared, she said; "Maggie, thank you." 

Maggie turned to look at the other woman, "For what?" 

"For giving us another chance. For believing in us." 

Maggie smiled, "I never stopped believing, Alex. You did. You just needed to re-discover that." 

Alex watched the other woman disappeared into the guest room, knowing then and there how fortunate she was.


	8. Second-First Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this happy chapter serves you well!!! We all need some happiness in our fandom. Let me know what you think!

Alex Danvers doesn't get bored nor spaced out, but for the past two hours, she hasn't heard a single word said at this boring meeting. Something about listening to a group of agents talk about the antics of a drunken man running around Gotham naked just bored the hell out of her. The trail on Cadmus has recently gotten cold, and Winn told her this morning that Maggie's apartment was ready for her to move back in. That got her in a weird mood, pretty quick. She knew that this day would come where Maggie would be leaving her apartment and go back to her usual routine. The thing was, she was dreading this day for a while now.

Alex had been brainstorming ideas for the perfect first date. Or perfect second first date. She had found a few good restaurants she could take Maggie to, but they were all booked. A movie? They didn't have time to sit down and enjoy it. Besides, she wanted to enjoy Maggie's company and talk about their day. Movies didn't allow for that to happen properly. 

"What do you think, Director Danvers?" 

That brought Alex back to the real world. What did she think on what? "I'm sorry, what?" 

Agent Zachary looked at her confused, "Ma'am, we were talking about what we'll do about that naked guy running around?" 

"Oh, that. That's not in our jurisdiction. Leave that to GCPD. Do we have any updates on Cadmus, the Joker Clan, or Talia al Ghul? Those are DEO priority. Not the naked guy", Alex asked going through her notes. 

"Nothing yet, Director Danvers. They've been on the down low for the last few days." 

"Alright. So, we can adjourn this useless meeting and work on any leads that come up in our current cases", Alex said getting up from her chair, "And leave that naked guy to GCPD. I swear, I feel like I'm working with a bunch of children." 

"Yes, Director."

* * *

_‘A picnic? No, that's way too cliché.'_ Alex thought, laying her head down on her desk. She could do this; she could find the perfect second-first date with Maggie. 

"Alex? You ok?", Alex heard Winn say from her office door. She raised her head and gave him a grumpy look. 

"You don't have to give me that attitude, Miss Danvers. I'm here cause I heard you've been acting off and weird all day. We were all worried about you", Winn said sitting down right across from her. 

Alex rolled her eyes and sat up straight on her chair. "I'm fine, Winn. I'm just having a hard time coming up with ideas for a perfect first date." 

Winn smiled, "Are you taking Sawyer on a date?" 

"Yes," Alex said playing with her pen. 

"And you can't come up with an idea." 

"Uhum" 

"And that's why you're acting like Miss. Grumpy Pants all the sudden?" 

Alex looked up at him, "I'm not grumpy." 

"Ok, do you want me to help you out? Or not," Winn asked pulling out his tablet. 

Alex rolled her eyes at him, "Maybe." 

"Ok! So, all the good restaurants look like their completely booked until the following week. Taking her to the movies is more like a third date kind of deal, and for that to happen, we need to get you through the first date. Picnics? Don't you even think about it," Winn teased. 

"Winn, I already went through all those ideas. Need something new, something memorable," Alex said in frustration. 

"Well, have you ever cooked for her?", Winn asked. 

"Not really, never had the time for it." 

"Well, that's it! You should cook her a nice dinner, dress up, a nice wine, under the stars", Winn suggested. 

Alex looked at him lost in thought, "I like that idea. Not exactly like you put it. But, similar. Now, what should I cook?" 

"What are you good at? Cooking-wise" 

"I can make a mean Lasagna, five kinds of cheese," Alex said excitedly, "Never had the chance to cook her that" 

"Well, there you go! Now, you need to get out of here and show her who's boss!" 

"Winn, no one is our boss. Sometimes I get perturbed about the things that go inside your puny head. You do understand that not all lesbians are bossy?", Alex rolled her eyes, "Anyway, without further ado, Operation: First Date is a go. Keep all DEO traffic to yourself unless there's an emergency." 

"Got it! No distractions! Perfect quiet first date." 

"Thank you, Winn. I need to head home and get everything ready for tonight. Hopefully, Maggie isn't home moving her stuff back to her apartment." 

"No worries about that, she moved all her stuff this morning," Winn said sadly. 

"Ok. I also might need your help later tonight with some stuff as I know you have a copy of her apartment keys", Alex said getting up from her chair. 

"Just let me know, and please don't burn the apartment down," Winn teased. 

"Really? I'm not Kara! I know how to cook!" 

* * *

Maggie walked into her apartment and threw her leather jacket on her couch. She had a very long day at the precinct, especially questioning a drunk-naked guy that the DEO agents brought in earlier today. Sometimes she worries about the sanity of the people in this city. 

"This shit never happened in National City," she whispered sarcastically. Walking towards the kitchen island, she dropped her keys and her badge on top of it. She noticed there was a folded piece of paper on top of the island and a single key. Opening it, she smiled: 

_Maggie:  
_

_Probably you had a very long day. And I may know the reason why, but as you know, we don't deal with naked perps. That is all you. To make things up to you, dress up in your warmest set of pajamas and head off to the roof. The key left with this note opens the roof door. Also, hope you're hungry.  
_

_Love, Alex._

Maggie closed the note and smiled, walking to her room to change. 

* * *

Maggie opened the building's roof door, walking out in search of Alex. What she saw must have been the cutest thing she has seen in a very long time. Alex was standing against the railing, looking out to the city, in a pair of flannel pajama pants and a hoodie. The city street lights accentuated Alex's features perfectly. Trying to distract herself from Alex's beauty, she looked around and noticed a table with two chairs, dinner on top, and a few lighted candles. Looking back at the other woman, she decided to make herself known. 

"Hey" 

Alex turned around and smiled at Maggie, "Hey." 

Maggie started to walk closer to Alex, looking around at the décor. Alex placed white Christmas lights on the floor, going around their table. She also noticed that the lights made a trail towards an inflatable mattress, full of pillows and a comforter. "So, you thought you were getting lucky tonight? On our very first date? Danvers, how cocky of you." 

Alex laughed, walking closer towards her. "No, I didn't picture you as a ‘sex on a first date' type of girl. That over there will be to stargaze after dinner. I have you a surprise, wrapped in Star Wars paper. Also, if you had looked a bit closer, you would have noticed a telescope connected to a computer right on top of the said mattress." 

Maggie looked back and in fact, noticed the telescope with a closed laptop on top the mattress. "Oh, there it is. I was just surprised at the bedding arrangements." 

"I do respect a lady, Sawyer," Alex said reaching for the other woman's hand. "Now, let me take you to your seat so you could enjoy a tasty home cooked meal." 

"Home cooked meal?", Maggie teased as she sat on her chair, "You cooked for me?" 

"Well, madam, I did," Alex teased back as she served Maggie's plate, "Home-cooked lasagna, made with turkey cause I couldn't find a tasty vegan option. But I hope you like it." 

After placing Maggie's plate down, Alex took her seat across from her. She paid close attention to the other woman's face as she took the first bite. If that moan Maggie made was any indication, the food was delicious. 

"Danvers!!! Were you keeping this secret lasagna recipe away from me? This should be a crime! This is good," Maggie said as she took another bite of her food. 

"Sorry? We never had time to cook for each other," Alex said as she took a bite. The other woman wasn't exaggerating; the food was excellent. 

"That means we had way too much sex. New thing: less sex, more home cooked meals," Maggie teased. 

"No! What do you mean less sex?!" Alex complained. 

"Cause, less sex means more time for cooking," Maggie teased. 

"You are incorrigible, Sawyer," Alex smiled. 

After finishing up with their dinner and talking about their busy day, Alex decided it was a good time to move to surprise number two. She guided Maggie to the air mattress and told her to sit down. She gave her the wrapped surprise and told her to open it. As Maggie smiled while unwrapping it, Alex grew nervous by the second. The other woman looked up at her biting her lip. "Alex, what is this?" 

"So, you know, I can't give you the stars nor the moon. But I can give you a constellation. Or at least, name one after you," Alex explained nervously, scratching the back of her neck. "It's dumb." 

"No, it isn't. You named a constellation after me?" Maggie looked down at the certificate and the star map. It read that a constellation has been named ‘Margarita Sawyer' in her honor. "This has to be the cutest thing I have ever seen. I love it." 

Alex smiled, blushing incredibly. She felt a hand cup her cheek, and she looked up, locking gazes with Maggie. The other woman placed a gentle kiss on her lips, and all she could do was smile. 

"Now, Danvers. I imagine that this telescope right here is to show me where my constellation is in that massive sky?" Maggie asked, pulling Alex towards the telescope. 

"Yes, ma'am," Alex answered opening the laptop. She typed the coordinates given to her and pressed send. The telescoped magically started moving, searching for Maggie's constellation. In an instant, a picture of the constellation appeared on the screen with the name ‘Margarita Sawyer.' 

"Here you go. It has been already registered under your name", Alex teased. 

Maggie smiled, looking at the image lovingly. No one has ever done something like this for her before. Yes, it was cheesy as hell. But it was incredibly adorable. She looked at Alex, gently pulling a hair behind her ear, and softly kissing her. 

"God, I love you, Danvers," Maggie whispered. 

Alex smiled, pulling her into a deep kiss. After breaking their kiss, she turned to her right and turned off the lights, pulling Maggie back to lay on the mattress. Covering them with the comforter, she pulled the other woman closer to her. 

Maggie placed her head on top of Alex's chest, listening to her rapid heartbeat. "I missed my snuggle spot." 

Alex laughed, "Do you mean your security boob?" 

Maggie laughed harder, lightly tickling Alex. "You ass, my snuggle spot. The boob as well. You know I have a soft spot for your boobs." 

"Sawyer, don't you start with the tickling. Or I'll have to bring the snickle monster," Alex teased placing a gentle kiss on the other woman's forehead. 

"No, I want to snuggle," Maggie said closing her eyes. "I missed snuggling with you." 

Alex smiled, pulling the other woman even closer to her. God! How she missed having the other woman this close. She won't admit it out loud, but this was what she missed the most about being with Maggie. Their closeness, their banter, their jokes. She felt that slowly they could get back to where they were. But for now? Alex was happy with just this. She won't make the same mistake twice; she won't let Maggie go again.


End file.
